


Broken Chains

by ExoBtsGot7Svt



Series: Fallen Cages [1]
Category: B.A.P, EXO (Band), NCT (Band), NU'EST, SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prison, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Attempted Sexual Assault, BE SAFE KIDS, Barebacking, Bottom Yoon Jeonghan, Breathplay, Choking, Cock Warming, Corruption, Daddy Kink, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Dubious Consent, Face Slapping, Face-Fucking, Facials, Falling In Love, Feminization, Futuristic-ish fake technology...? Idk how to explain it, Gangs, Hair-pulling, Hannie drops the soap, Harassment, Here we go, Humiliation, Jeonghan is scared, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Manhandling, Manipulation, Mapping out chapters is HARD, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Most characters and relationships are minor and only mentioned, No Condom, No Lube, No one important dies, Organized Crime, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Possessive Behavior, Prison Sex, Protectiveness, Public Blow Jobs, Public Humiliation, Punishment, Rough Kissing, Rough Oral Sex, Rough Sex, SEVENTEEN- centric, Semi-Public Sex, Seungcheol is a dick, Slow Burn, Smut, Solitary Confinement, Spanking, Spit As Lube, The Author Regrets Nothing, Top Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups, Unprotected Sex, Unsafe Sex, Use A Condom, alright, anger issues, dirty cops, gang rivalry, prison fights, prison visits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:48:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 81,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23280451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExoBtsGot7Svt/pseuds/ExoBtsGot7Svt
Summary: "Rise and shine Camel toe! Got you a new cellmate, try not to scare this one off, huh?" The guard's laugh sounds like the equivalent of a goose being dragged through a cheese grater and Seungcheol grits his teeth, fighting against every fiber of his being to keep from lashing out and telling him where he can shove his stupid jokes....."You will most definitely become someone's bitch. Unless, of course, you have protection. Which I," Seungcheol places a hand over his heart and tilts his head to the left in a mimicry of sincerity that does the opposite of reassure Jeonghan. "will be happy to supply under one condition."Jeonghan gazes at him wearily. "Under what condition?""I own you. In every aspect of the word."
Relationships: Boo Seungkwan/Chwe Hansol | Vernon, Choi Minki | Ren/Kim Jonghyun | JR, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Lee Seokmin | DK, Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Series: Fallen Cages [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019716
Comments: 360
Kudos: 743





	1. Uncharted Territory - Monday, July 31 7am

**Author's Note:**

> Another prison fic! So original, I know. But I've been wanting to write a prison fic for years now and haven't gotten around to doing it (read: I've been too lazy to start one) BUT I finally got an ounce of motivation to start one. This is gonna be on the more complex side of my writing - which is something I don't normally do because world building is hard and time-consuming and I don't have the brain capacity or patience to create outlines and timelines and storylines and...whatever... other... lines I dunno
> 
> This prison is based on a combination of research, memory from tv/video games, and imagination. My AU, my rules. I can do whatever I want.
> 
> ANYWAY this story is Seventeen centric. It mostly follows them but, as you can see, there are other groups in here. Because there are so many characters, many of them are merely mentioned and most of the relationships in here are implied/mentioned/hinted at rather than shown. Updates are gonna be slow considering I also want to do longer chapters for this fic and therefore will be putting a lot more effort and creativity into it. Now that I've rambled way too much - ON WITH THE STORY!  
> Read ALL the tags  
> Enjoy!!

"Rise and shine, Camel toe!"

Seungcheol glares up at the dingey ceiling, not moving a muscle. Maybe if he ignores him long enough the guard will leave.

"Got you a new cellmate! Try not to scare this one off, huh?" The guard's laugh sounds like the equivalent of a goose being dragged through a cheese grater and Seungcheol grits his teeth, has to fight against every fiber of his being to keep from lashing out and telling him where he can shove his stupid jokes. Seungcheol can't stand this particular guard, which is why the man had taken it upon himself to provoke him every given chance.

When he finally realizes he won't get a reaction out of the prisoner, the guard grumbles beneath his breath and Seungcheol hears what sounds like footsteps scraping across the floor as if someone had stumbled followed by the sound of the guard's heavy boots stomping off down the corridor to open the other cells. He huffs and debates going back to sleep when he remembers the guard's words. _'New cellmate?'_

Seungcheol sits up abruptly, eyes immediately landing on his 'cellmate'. The man is cowering by the open door, head bowed and shoulder length brown hair falling over his face. Seungcheol scans him from head to toe, assessing. Nothing about the man screams criminal but he'd learned years ago not to make assumptions based on looks. But he'd also be lying if he didn't say this guy looks like he can't even hurt a fly.

The blue uniforms normally run large but the brunet looks so tiny in his. The shoulders of the uniform are much too broad and his sleeves cover his hands, the long pant legs also falling over his white shoes, the drawstrings drawn as tight as they could go to keep them from falling down his hips. Nothing about this guy screams prison material.

Seungcheol jumps down from the top bunk, feet hitting the concrete floor with a loud thud that makes the other man flinch, much to his satisfaction. He approachs his cellmate with slow, confident steps, shoulders back and head high, muscled arms crossing over his broad chest as he stops a couple steps away. He allows a silence to stretch, listening as other prisoners in his block slowly get out of their beds and trickle from their cells to head down to the cafeteria for breakfast. He decides to take his time. After all, Minghao will be the one getting his tray for him anyway. He could have some fun first.

"Who are you?" 

The other male lifts his head and Seungcheol is taken back for a split second by his beauty. He has delicate features: perfectly shaped eyebrows, large, innocent eyes that shine with fear, a pretty nose and mouth, his bottom lip caught between his teeth and bitten raw from nerves. He's a pretty one. A beautiful man. And he won't last a day.

"Such a pretty face," Seungcheol observes, shamelessly scanning him head to toe again and smirking when he notices the blush on the newbie's cheeks. "I'm sure you know what happens to pretty boys when they go to prison, though. You'll be lucky if you can last through breakfast before someone has you pinned against a wall, claiming that little ass." The brunet gulps, shrinking in on himself even more. "What's your name?"

"J-jeonghan..." Comes the quiet reply. Seungcheol's brow twitches.

"Speak up." He commands, deep voice causing Jeonghan to flinch, taking a step back.

"Jeonghan." He repeats louder, a noticeable tremor in his voice. "Yoon Jeonghan."

"Well, Yoon Jeonghan," Seungcheol steps forward and Jeonghan backs up more, wary. "What are you in for?"

"N-none of your business..." The malice in his words is weak, failing miserably to sound stronger than he currently feels.

Seungcheol chuckles, a dark, intimidating sound. He takes another step forward and in his attempt to keep distance between them, Jeonghan ends up backing himself into a corner. His back hits the concrete wall and he gasps quietly, eyes widening when Seungcheol traps him there, towering over Jeonghan as he tries to make himself as small as possible. The gang leader merely watches him as he starts to shake, head bowing once again and arms coming up to shield his face.

"Not so tough now, are we?" Seungcheol says mockingly. "I ain't even touched you, I haven't threatened you, yet here you are shaking like a leaf. Pathetic." He reaches a hand out to grab Jeonghan's chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting his head in a surprisingly gentle manner. Jeonghan's eyes are glassy with unshed tears and Seungcheol scoffs. "They're gonna tear you to shreds out there. You're weak. You can't even keep up a front for longer than three seconds. Someone will make you their bitch in that time."

"I'm not weak," Jeonghan mumbles, offended and barely audible.

"Speak up."

"I'm not weak." 

Seungcheol quirks a brow but says nothing. He just stares at Jeonghan who can't hold his gaze for more than ten seconds before he looks away. He tries to pull his head from the grip on his chin but Seungcheol tightens his fingers and draws a whimper from the brunet. Jeonghan lifts a hand but freezes mid way at the loud exhale Seungcheol releases through his nose, meeting his eye and swallowing hard. He tries to return the look, hardening his own gaze and narrowing his eyes in hopes that it masks the fear he still feels in this man's presence. They stare each other down, Jeonghan's facade weakening by the second. After what feels like an eternity but is really only a little over a minute later, Seungcheol smirks.

"How cute. You're trying so hard to be hard but that look couldn't even scare a baby." He says condescendingly, releasing Jeonghan's chin to run his calloused fingers through his long hair. Jeonghan cringes from the touch.

"Please don't touch me," he mumbles again. "I...I'm not weak and no one is gonna make me their..." Jeonghan grimaces, crossing his arms over his chest, shoulders hunched. "Bitch."

Seungcheol laughs, mirthless and mocking. He looks Jeonghan up and down again, shaking his head. "You will most _definitely_ become someone's bitch. Unless, of course, you have protection. Which I," he places a palm over his heart and tilts his head to the left in a mimicry of sincerity. "will be happy to supply under one condition."

Jeonghan gazes wearily at him. "Under what condition?"

"Simple. You, pretty boy, will belong to me."

"No." The brunet says without hesitation. "I'd rather take my chances out there."

"Would you really?"

Conveniently, at that moment Mingyu appears in the entryway, his voice startling Jeonghan. "Hey, Coups hyung, what's taking you so long?"

Seungcheol turns to the taller man, stepping aside to reveal the partially cowering male behind him. "Just having a talk with the new twink. He has decided he doesn't need my protection. Wanna give him a taste of what'll happen the second the pigs lay eyes on him?"

Mingyu's face of confusion switches instantly into a look of arrogance. He struts forward as Seungcheol steps fully away from Jeonghan who audibly swallows as he's cornered once more. Seungcheol watches on in amusement as Jeonghan pitifully tries to bat Mingyu's hands away. Said male only grabs his slim wrists in one hand and forces his arms above his head, other hand slipping beneath Jeonghan's top.

"N-no! No, stop!" Jeonghan protests weakly. "Stop touching me! Stop!"

"That's enough, Mingyu." Seungcheol says after a few moments and the taller man drops Jeonghan's wrists and retracts his hand, moving away from the brunet who drops into a ball, arms wrapped around his legs and head buried in his knees, shaking like a leaf. The gang leader rolls his eyes when Mingyu gives him a questioning glance. "Get up."

Jeonghan doesn't move and Seungcheol huffs. "You have three seconds to stand back up before I make you stand up myself." He warns. Jeonghan peeks up at him, sees the way his eyebrow twitches and jaw clenches, and he stands, slowly rising from his crouched position. "Now, pretty boy, had you been under my protection, that wouldn't have happened to you. But, you've made your decision." Seungcheol shrugs, motioning for Mingyu to follow him as he turned to exit the cell. "Mingyu works under me, but there are several other gangs here who don't give a shit what I have to say and if they want to claim you, they won't hesitate to do so."

He's one foot out of the cell, Mingyu already halfway down the stairs back to the cafeteria, when Jeonghan calls out to him. "Wait."

Seungcheol smirks to himself and looks over his shoulder. "What it is, pretty boy? Breakfast is getting cold."

Jeonghan steps away from the corner, taking slow steps. His arms are wrapped around himself, making him appear even smaller. He's curious - it can be seen in his eyes - but also hesitant, obvious in the way he bites his bottom lip. "What...what exactly do you mean when you say I'll belong to you?"

Seungcheol turns fully, casually putting his hands in his pant pockets. "It means that I will own you in every aspect of the word. You will no longer be Yoon Jeonghan because you will no longer belong to that family. You will be whatever name I decide to give you and you will be mine to do with as I please. No questions asked. No holds barred."

"And how...how is that any - any different from what someone else might do to me?" Jeonghan counters, incredulous, halting in the middle of the room.

"You ever taken two cocks at once? Ever been in a gang bang? Ever been used by seven men at the same time with no reprieve?" Seungcheol asks, growing ever amused at the look that becomes more horrified with each question. "Your reaction tells me no to all of that. If you decide you'd rather 'take your chances', by all means, do it. Just know that all of that is coming your way - no pun intended." He takes a pause to chuckle to himself but Jeonghan doesn't find the humor in his double meaning. "But I am a greedy man. I don't like sharing. Meaning, you will belong to me and only me for as long as I deem you useful. The second I get bored of you though..." He lets the sentence trail off, knowing his point is coming across loud and clear.

He holds out one hand and Jeonghan eyes it, taking a few more steps and slowly reaching out his own smaller, dainty hand. "When I shake your hand...I'll be protected from the other prisoners?"

"Mhm. But I should warn you - since I'm feeling nice this morning - that the second we shake hands, I can do whatever I want to you and you have no say. You're giving up your voice, your rights, your _everything_ to me and I have no limits to what I can and will do to you. Deal?"

Jeonghan's hand freezes and he lifts his eyes to meet Seungcheol's. Was he really going to put his life in this man's hands just for protection? He's seen enough tv and read enough prison experience horror stories to know that he would most definitely be screwed if he went out there by himself. He's small and soft and pretty with no knowledge or strength to fend for himself against much bigger and stronger men who were, not to mention, gang members as well which made them more scary. No matter how he looks at it, there's no winning. 

_'Maybe basically becoming a slave won't be so bad',_ he tries to reason with himself but doesn't believe his own words for a second. With a shaky sigh, he gives up on weighing his limited and unsavory options and places his hand in Seungcheol's, the contrast between Seungcheol's calloused and rough skin to his own soft skin an embarrassing one.

"Deal." 

Seungcheol's smirk returns and there's a dangerous glint in his eye, gone as soon as it appears. "Great. Now come on. Breakfast is gonna end soon." He walks out of the cell and Jeonghan follows closely behind. 

The corridor is quiet, every cell empty and the murmur of voices floats up from the cafeteria. A seed of dread plants itself in Jeonghan's stomach as they descend the concrete stairs, his eyes on the cracked and chipped steps. The fifth step from the bottom is missing a chunk of concrete, leaving a hole of rough, jagged cement that someone was bound to trip on. As they reach the bottom, Jeonghan unconsciously finds himself moving closer to Seungcheol, fingers wrapped tightly around the fabric of the uniform jacket wrapped about the man's waist as the attention of nearby prisoners is turned to them.

Seungcheol is unfazed by the eyes on him, face set in an intimidating glare and chin up as he walks, deaf to the slurs and words being thrown at him. Jeonghan keeps his head bowed, walking so closely to Seungcheol he nearly steps on the backs of his shoes. There are men whistling at and calling out to him and his heart is racing a mile a minute.

"Who's the new bitch?"

"They put a girl in the wrong place or sum?"

"Hey princess, lemme get a taste of that pussy!"

"Hey, Coups, you get a new toy? Share this one, eh? You should let a real man break this one in!"

Jeonghan squeezes his eyes shut, disgust and fear swirling in his gut and making him nauseous. He doesn't realize they've come to a stop until he bumps into Seungcheol's back. The man huffs and that's when he realizes he's been clinging to his jacket for dear life. He lets go and takes a few steps back, flexing his aching hand with a small hiss. He looks up to see that Seungcheol has taken a seat at a table with five other men who are watching him with various expressions ranging from curiosity to annoyance to disinterest. He spots the tall man - Mingyu - looking at him smugly and it only serves to worsen his anxiety.

"The hell are you waiting for?" Seungcheol snaps. Jeonghan feels his face heat up as he moves to take the only open seat on Seungcheol's left between him and a black haired man with glasses and an unreadable expression. The table is round with three benches surrounding it. The entire thing is concrete and the benches are bolted into the ground. Jeonghan steps into the seat and sits, lip caught between his teeth as he feels the assessing eyes of the other men.

"So this is the new twink you had Mingyu hyung harass?" Someone finally speaks up and Seungcheol hums, more interested in the bland food on his plastic tray than the question. Jeonghan locks eyes with the man who spoke and he's shocked at how young he looks. He has a mix of sharp and delicate features with messy brown hair and a strong jawline; he looks youthful yet aged with the pinch in his brows that makes his eyes look darker and tells Jeonghan he isn't as innocent as he looks first glance. His gaze is piercing and Jeonghan casts his eyes to his lap.

"Yep." Mingyu answers for Seungcheol. "I never caught his name though."

"Y-yoon Jeonghan..." The brunet whispers. He yelps a second later when Seungcheol pinches the inside of his thigh, the action still very painful beneath his layer of clothes. His hands instinctively shoot down to grab at the man's wrist and try to push it away but it doesn't budge.

"Speak up." Seungcheol commands, still pinching his leg.

"My na- name is Yo-" Seungcheol pinches harder and Jeonghan winces. "My name is Jeonghan." He rushes, clamping his thighs together when Seungcheol takes his hand away, the area burning and tingling and he knows there's definitely going to be a bruise there tomorrow.

"Jeonghan? Pretty name for a pretty boy." Another one of the men says. "So, I'm assuming you've made your claim? Seeing as how he was clinging to you like a toddler."

"He does belong to me now - as if I was gonna let someone else get their hand on him." Seungcheol scoffs. "But I haven't claimed him yet." He glances at Jeonghan as he takes a sip of chalky water from his little paper cup. The man is still bowing his head, long locks blocking his face. He 'tsk's and grabs the brunet by the chin. "Show your face."

Jeonghan does as told, knowing that there's no point in protesting. He brushes his hair back, combing his fingers through it to uncover his pink tinted face. He keeps his eyes down, only looking up when the fingers on his chin tighten. Seungcheol points to each person to introduce them. He starts with the person to his right, a man with black hair, slanted eyes and cherubic cheeks.

"This is Hoshi," his finger moves to the person on the closest end of the second bench. His hair is dyed, a faded pink with strips of purple and blue throughout it that have also started fading and his face, while also looking surprisingly youthful, gives off a "don't fuck with me" vibe that makes Jeonghan wary. "That's The8 and the one next to him is Vernon."

Vernon is the one across from him with the messy hair and strong jawline. His gaze has softened, no longer piercing, and he looks much younger with a relaxed face. Seungcheol points to the people on the third bench next and chuckles at the way he can feel Jeonghan lean a bit away when he looks at Mingyu. "You've met Mingyu. The one next to him is Wonu." Wonu looks the most disinterested in him, cat-like eyes empty of emotion. He has a calm yet dangerous aura and Jeonghan gets the feeling he doesn't want to get on this one's bad side.

At that time, a bell sounds and startles Jeonghan who turns crimson when the other men laugh at him. He looks around to see the other prisoners dumping their trays and putting them on a metal cart sat in the middle of the cafeteria before filtering out of a door on the right leading to one of the prison courtyards.

Seungcheol stands, followed by the rest of the men, and Jeonghan scrambles after him as he leaves the table, his tray left behind. Jeonghan glances back to see the one called The8 collecting it along with his own. They join the crowd of prisoners pushing their way through the doorway and in the chaos of it, Jeonghan gets separated from Seungcheol. He feels a hand graze his ass and would brush it off as an accident due to how close they all were but a second later, a hand grabs his ass and he yelps, shoving his way through the pale blue ocean of uniforms in an attempt to get away.

Panic hits him like a slap to the face when he feels more hands reaching for and grabbing him. There's so many people around him and he doesn't know where to go. Someone snatches him out of the mass of bodies surrounding him and he's relieved for half a second until he sees that the person currently groping him is not the man whose protection he's supposed to be under.

When Seungcheol realizes Jeonghan isn't behind him anymore, irritation flares in his chest. He looks around, instantly spotting the long brown hair that acts as a beacon. He becomes even more irritated when he sees that Jeonghan is being groped by one of his groups rivals.

He starts to push in that direction and the prisoners in his path make way for him, parting easily to allow him through. Vernon and Mingyu are right behind him without question as they always are and Seungcheol raises his voice to be heard over the commotion of the other prisoners.

"Jongup you have two seconds to let go of my property before I break your nose." He warns. Jeonghan's eyes find him and there's a mixture of terror and relief on his face. His arms are being restrained in front of him, tips of his fingers barely peeking past the ends of his sleeves. Jongup is pressed against his back, his other hand not visible from Seungcheol's vantage point. But by the way Jeonghan is squirming, it doesn't take a genius to guess where it is.

"Your property, huh? I don't see your mark on it, S.Coups." The other responds mockingly. "Last time I check, you gotta mark what's yours and from what I can see, this pretty ass is free to claim."

"I've made my claim, asshole." Seungcheol growls, stepping closer. From his peripheral he sees Zelo and Daehyun approaching and he grits his teeth. It's too early for this. "Roll call ain't even started yet, you sure you wanna do this right now? I'll kick your ass in front of everyone. You know I will."

They stare each other down for a minute and Jongup relents with a scoff, shoving Jeonghan so hard he goes stumbling into Seungcheol's arms. "I don't want your bitch anyway." He spits, leaving to join back up with his own people as Seungcheol, Mingyu, Vernon, and now Jeonghan, return to their claimed area.

When they reach Hoshi, The8 and Wonu, Hoshi raises his brows in question. Seungcheol, still annoyed, only shakes his head as he pushes Jeonghan to the ground in front of him. The brunet grunts as his knees and shins come in contact with gravel. He tries to stand but is immediately pushed back down by a hand on his shoulder. He looks up at Seungcheol who glares down at him and a shiver of fear goes up his spine. Swallowing, Jeonghan bows his head and sits there, acutely aware of the rocks digging into his skin through his pants.

A guard stands on a raised platform made of asphalt that sits in the middle of the courtyard and blows shrilly into a whistle. The chatter dies down and the guard begins to speak. After the first few words, Seungcheol tunes him out, used to hearing this same speech every single day.

First the guard would call out each prisoners inmate ID, a three digit number followed by the first letter of their surname (for example, Seungcheol's number is 290C). This was the most monotonous part, waiting for your ID to be called only to answer "Present" like a school student. Next he would give a speech about behavior and job openings around the prison and blah blah blah - Seungcheol has never cared enough to actually listen. Finally he would dismiss them to do whatever they want until lunch at 12.

"Inmate 820Y?" The guard calls and heads instantly swivel, searching for the newbie. Jeonghan's feeble "Present." is just barely heard from his spot on the ground and the guard looks up from his clipboard, scanning the courtyard with furrowed brows but simply shrugs a moment later, continuing with the daily announcements.

"As you all know, the shower block is open for use until 11:30, each inmate is allotted one towel and one washcloth for the week but must bring their own soaps. Two jobs have opened up, both as custodial positions, with one in the kitchen as a garbage collector and the other to clean the showers. Pay will be determined by work hours and effort put in with a minimum of ₩50. You are free to use the indoor gym, outside exercise area and recreation room or return to your cells. We suggest you play nicely as violence is not tolerated and will be punished. If you wish to make a call, there is a sign up list located in the dining hall with call time hours. If you have a visitor, you will be escorted to the visiting room and allowed 30 minutes to talk."

The second the guard dismisses them, Seungcheol yanks Jeonghan to his feet by the jacket. Jeonghan's legs, which had been halfway to falling asleep tingle and ache from his previous kneeling position. He shakes them to bring some feeling back and knock the rocks sticking to his pant legs off. Seungcheol's group stands in place as the others shuffle back into the cafeteria to go to the other parts of the prison. When the crowd lessens, they make their way inside, Jeonghan being dragged by a hand wrapped tightly around his upper arm.

Seungcheol brings him back up the stairs and into their shared cell, his men following close behind. Upon reaching the compact room, Jeonghan finds himself on the ground again, this time the side of his right leg and hip taking the brunt of the fall. He's not even been here a full day and he's already going to have several bruises come noon. He sits up slowly and peeks at Seungcheol through his lashes. Not knowing what to expect, he chooses to stay quiet as not to possibly piss the leader off any more than he is.

"You barely been here a few hours and you're already causing trouble." Seungcheol starts, untying the uniform jacket from his waist and throwing it off to the side. He snaps and the five men form a line to block the bars of the cell. They stand shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed at the wrist in front of them and eyes staring straight ahead, faces expressionless. "You're already looking to be more trouble than it's worth."

Jeonghan makes an indignant sound. "That's not fair!" He cries. "It's not my fault I got violated!" 

"Did I tell you to speak, bitch?" 

The insult catches Jeonghan off guard, the growl in Seungcheol's voice unmistakable and terrifying. "But-" before the word can fully leave his lips, there's a hand wrapped tightly in his hair and another around his throat. Seungcheol picks him up like that and in the next second, Jeonghan's breath is being forced out of him as his back comes in contact with the concrete wall opposite to the bed.

He pulls at the hand around his neck frantically but it only tightens until his breathing is fully restricted and he fears his windpipe is about to be crushed. He stops fighting, hands clinging onto Seungcheol's wrist. He's utterly at the other's complete mercy, pinned to the wall with his feet barely touching the ground.

There's a look that can only be described as cold, heartless murder in Seungcheol's eyes. His jaw is clenched and his nostrils are flaring and Jeonghan has never experienced such fear in his life. His heart is racing a mile a minute and his stomach is coiled tight with anxiety and his only thought is _'I'm about to die.'_. The veins in Seungcheol's neck are prominent, his skin flushed red with untamable rage.

"Don't you _ever_ talk back to me," he barks, voice deeper than before. "You listen to me, bitch, and you listen clear: you do not say a word unless given permission. You do not touch me without permission. You can't do **anything** unless I say you can. Understood?" He punctuates his words with a yank of Jeonghan's hair.

The brunet nods as much as the hands on him allow. His vision is swimming and he's starting to see dots when Seungcheol finally loosens his grip around his neck. Jeonghan gasps loudly, choking as he tries to pull air back into his deprived lungs. He's thrown back to the ground, scalp burning and neck throbbing, his own hand coming up to rest lightly over it. His eyes water but he blinks the tears away, unwilling to show another sign of weakness. He notices the five men who look unfazed, still staring blankly at the empty wall across from them.

Seungcheol's hand returns to his hair before he can fully regain his breath and he's pulled to a kneeling position, his view of the five men blocked by Seungcheol's body. Jeonghan is face to face with the man's crotch and he already knows where this is going. He coughs weakly a few times, finding that swallowing has become a somewhat painful task now.

"We'll start your lessons later on; I'm laying claim to you first. You can also think of this as your way of making it up to me for pissing me off." The gang leader undoes the drawstring to his uniform trousers, shoving his underwear down just enough to pull his cock out. With the hand in his hair, he guides Jeonghan forward.

"Open." Too scared to disobey, Jeonghan complies immediately, closing his eyes and opening his mouth. Seungcheol slaps his length across his face, smearing precum on his flushed cheek. "Tongue out." Jeonghan sticks his tongue out as told and cringes slightly when he feels the cock slap against his tongue, coating it with bitter precum.

"Suck." Seungcheol commands. Jeonghan does as told, curling his lips over his teeth as he takes the length into his mouth. No need to piss Seungcheol off again. He's guided up and down, slowly at first, and tries to adjust to the feeling of a cock in his mouth. Considering Seungcheol's build, with his broad shoulders and chest, and muscular physique in general, Jeonghan isn't surprised that his dick is also big. It's thick and long and there's no way he can take all of it in his mouth when it's only half in and already at the back of his mouth.

Jeonghan suckles on his mouthful, thankful that Seungcheol is going easy on him right now. But Jeonghan isn't stupid and he knows it's only a facade and won't last much longer. He's proven right only moments later, the grip tightening in his hair as he's forced to take all of Seungcheol's cock, nose touching his pubic hairs. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to swallow down the spit building up in his mouth while simultaneously trying not to gag.

Seungcheol presses his hips forward and Jeonghan's throat spams involuntarily around his cock, tears slipping down his cheeks as he gags wetly. He's forced to take shallow breaths through his nose but air is quickly running out and Seungcheol doesn't seem intent on letting him up anytime soon. His hands twitch in his lap, wanting to push away the man above him to breathe. He whimpers continuously, the vibrations along with the feeling of his throat contracting around Seungcheol's cock making said male grunt.

Jeonghan chokes on his spit when he's finally allowed to breathe and barely exhales before Seungcheol is fucking into his mouth. The only thing he can do is sit there and take it as he's held in place, head tilted back with tears streaming down his face and spit spilling down his chin as he chokes and gags around the intruding length being forced down his throat again and again at an unrelenting pace.

There's a stinging slap across his face that has his eyes flying open to meet Seungcheol's, his brows furrowing. "Keep your eyes open." Is all the man says, not sounding affected in the least. Jeonghan breathes heavily through his nose and it's a battle to keep his eyes open. They keep flooding with tears that he has to continuously blink away and Seungcheol slaps him every time they stay closed too long.

After a few more thrusts, Seungcheol pulls Jeonghan off his cock completely, wrapping a hand around himself and pumping quickly. Jeonghan pants, feeling very much like a dog as he tries to regulate his breathing and recover from the throat fucking. Seungcheol tilts his head back further and cums with a grunted "Fuck.". Jeonghan shuts his eyes as the first spurt hits his face.

Ropes of semen splatter over his face, covering from his forehead to his chin. Some lands in his mouth and Jeonghan has half a mind to spit it out but Seungcheol is plugging his nose and wrapping a hand around his neck, forcing him to swallow the spunk in his mouth with a grimace. He opens it to show that it's gone and Seungcheol lets go.

"Look at you, covered in my cum like a slut. I think he look prettier like this, what about you boys?"

Humiliation makes Jeonghan's face burn as he hears the disinterested murmured agreements from the five men in the room. A finger runs through the cum on his cheek, pressing it into his skin before being shoved inside his mouth. Jeonghan licks the digit clean and Seungcheol repeats this until there's no more cum on his face, feeding it all to the pliant brunet.

"Good girl." Seungcheol mutters and Jeonghan opens his eyes again. Seungcheol is running his fingers through his hair, gentle now, and it's a strange 180 from how he was being treated only minutes prior. He's tucked himself back into his underwear and retied his pants. Looking over his shoulder he calls out, "Wonu." 

Seungcheol shifts as the cat eyed man walks forward. There's something in his hand that looks like a pen but as he comes closer, Jeonghan can see that a tiny motor of sorts has been attached to the body of an pen, the end looking to be a pointed wire. Seungcheol is observing Jeonghan's reaction and sees his apprehension.

"In order for you to officially come under my protection, you must wear my mark." He says by way of explanation and Jeonghan looks warily up at him. "Pull up your right sleeve and hold your arm out, wrist up." 

Jeonghan hesitates and the hand that's still touching his hair tugs warningly. He gulps, looking between Seungcheol and the diy machine in Wonu's hand. Wonu kneels in front of him and Jeonghan sees a small container of black ink in his other hand. He looks back to Seungcheol.

"A-a tattoo?" His voice is hoarse and doesn't come out properly.

"What did I say about talking?" Seungcheol quirks a brow and Jeonghan clamps his mouth shut. Seeing as he had no way out of this, he rolls his right sleeve up to his elbow and exposes the inside of his wrist. Wonu must think he's moving too slowly because his hand shoots out and grasps Jeonghan's arm to pull it toward himself, the speed at which he moves drawing a gasp from the long haired male.

Wonu clicks a a button and the self made tattoo pen whirs to life with a muted hum. His wrist is held in a surprisingly tight grip as Wonu dips the end into the ink and begins his works. It's a painful process, the needle digging non stop into his arm as a neat S.COUPS is embedded into his pale skin. It takes no more than ten minutes but it's an excruciating ten minutes nonetheless and by the end of it, Jeonghan is almost in tears again, biting down on his fist and hiding his face in the leg of Seungcheol's pants.

When he's done, Wonu clicks off the device and sets it to the side and retrieves an antibacterial wipe from his jacket pocket. Jeonghan hisses as he wipes down the irritated and tender skin and when Wonu releases his hand, he cradles his arm to his chest with a piteous sniffle.

"Thank you, Wonu."

The man gives a curt nod, using another antibacterial wipe to clean the tip of the tattoo pen. Seungcheol dismisses the five men after that - "We'll have our meeting after lunch." - and turns back to Jeonghan who's inspecting his new tattoo and discreetly wiping away tears.

Seungcheol takes a seat at the tiny desk against the wall adjacent to the bed in its uncomfortable plastic chair. He beckons Jeonghan over and he rises on unsteady legs, making his way to Seungcheol with shaky steps. He's drawn onto Seungcheol's lap and looks away, cheeks tinting with embarrassment. Seungcheol turns his face to him with a finger beneath his chin and Jeonghan squirms under his scrutiny as the gangster just...stares at him. He wants to turn his face away, feels uncomfortable and awkward in the stretching silence but then Seungcheol speaks.

"Angel." He meets Seungcheol's eye and almost speaks but catches himself and furrows his brows instead, hoping it conveys his confusion. "I'm naming you Angel. It's fitting. Your long hair, pretty eyes and soft face."

Jeonghan will be buried six feet under before he admits that he kinda likes the name. He glances at his tattoo again, itching to ask a question but he's had his fill of pissing Seungcheol off. So he improvises. He lifts his arm and points to the tattoo.

"What about it? Speak."

"This is -" Jeonghan's voice cracks and his throat is sore, feels raw and scratchy but despite that he clears it and tries again. "This is your name?"

"Yes. Anyone who isn't my team only knows me by S.Coups. With that on your arm, people here will know not to fuck with you. But you aren't allowed to call me that." At Jeonghan's look of confusion, Seungcheol chuckles. "What? You think just because you're my little pet now, you can address me by name? I don't think so. I will give you a choice, though. Lucky for you I'm feeling quite generous today and you've most definitely earned my forgiveness with that pretty little mouth of yours. You have three choices. You can call me master, sir, or daddy."

Jeonghan flushes at the last one, cheek turning crimson, and Seungcheol's brows shoot up. "Oh? What a reaction," he teases. "Does my innocent Angel have a daddy kink by chance?" Jeonghan shakes his head quickly and Seungcheol 'tsk's, slipping a hand past Jeonghan's waistband to pinch his hip, holding him still when he yelps and jerks away. "Don't lie to me, Angel. I hate liars. Which name do you choose?"

He stalls for as long as he can, picking at his rolled up sleeve and not wanting to expose himself by answering. But Seungcheol is an inpatient man who doesn't like to be kept waiting and he pinches Jeonghan again, hand traveling further to the skin at the juncture of his pelvis and thigh. Jeonghan's leg jerks and a pained squeak falls from his lips. Seungcheol twists the skin between his fingers and Jeonghan writhes in his hold.

"Daddy! I choose Daddy!" He cries, huffing in relief when his abused skin is released. Seungcheol pulls his hand from Jeonghan's pants and he finds himself on the floor yet again, being looked down upon with a condescending smirk that makes the nerves in his stomach stir yet again.

"Seeing as I still got time to kill, how about we start with lesson one?"

**Visiting Room 13 - 11:26am, Soonyoung**

Soonyoung breaks into a smile as soon as the guard escorting him leaves the room, the door shutting with a soft click. He makes his way to the counter, beaming at the person sitting on the other side of the glass dividing the two rooms. The other person indulges him with a small smile as he pulls out his chair to sit down.

"Hello, love of my life~"

"Hello, one of six idiots who got himself arrested." Jihoon replies snarkily, snorting when Soonyoung's smile morphs into a pout.

"Aw, come on~. You know you miss me Jihoonie. Miss my co-"

"We have things to talk about regarding the family reunion." Jihoon interrupts with a disgusted wrinkle of his nose. "You're disgusting by the way. Anyway, we need to decide on a location that works for everyone."

Soonyoung drops the pout and hums, fingers tapping on his chin. "Well you know how much everyone loves to eat. Maybe someplace big enough to fit everyone comfortably."

Jihoon nods, lips pursed. He inspects his nails absentmindedly. "What about a Korean barbeque during lunch hours?" He lifts his eyes back to Soonyoung, brow arched.

"Eh, they tend to be more busy during the lunch rush, I'd suggest maybe an hour or two later when we can claim several tables without hassle." The black haired male responds. "They might be a bit short staffed considering we'll be showing up later but it'll be fine." He crosses his arms over the metal table, leaning forward. They stare at each other for a few beats and Jihoon scoffs with a shake of his head.

"You look like you want to kiss me."

"So what if I do? I haven't been able to in eight months. It's like I've sworn myself to celibacy in here!" Soonyoung complains and Jihoon's eyes narrow instantly.

"If you even think about putting your dick in some prison whore's ass I'll cut your balls off." He hisses and instead of being unnerved by the threat, Soonyoung smiles again.

"See? You do miss me."

Jihoon rolls his eyes. "So what if I do?" He mimics.

"Don't worry, baby. I may be a criminal, but I'm a loyal boyfriend. The only ass I want to fuck is yours."

"How romantic." Jihoon deadpans.

The guard who'd escorted Soonyoung pops his head into the room. "Two minutes." He says before closing the door again.

"You'll be back next week right?"

"Of course I will idiot, I've been coming here every Monday for the last five months." Jihoon grumbles as he stands. Their eyes meet again and his gaze softens at Soonyoung's dopey smile that's always there whether Jihoon is complimenting him or insulting him. "And, yes, I do miss you Young-ah."

His smile only seems to brighten even more. "I love you."

"I love you too, dumbass. Tell Vernon Seungkwan is still sulking." He smiles as Soonyoung laughs.

"And let me guess, he's still mad at Cheol hyung?"

"Our Kwannie can hold quite the grudge as we've discovered. But seeing as it doesn't hinder his work," Jihoon shrugs, "we leave him be."

"Time's up." The guard is in the room again, standing by the door and Soonyoung stands, chair scraping against the floor as he does so. He holds up a finger heart and allows himself to be led away, and if Jihoon stands there and watches him until the door closes behind his back before leaving, he doesn't need to know.

**After Lunch Leisure Time - 2:20pm, Jeonghan**

After lunch, Seungcheol and the five men return to the formers cell, Jeonghan following cluelessly behind. Just as the gang leader had said, when people caught a glimpse of the ink on the inside of his wrist - his sleeve was still rolled up as not to further irritate the skin - groping hands didn't reach for him even as he went through the lunch line alone, Seungcheol ordering him to get both of their trays.

He'd pleaded nonverbally with the man, eyes wide and terrified because didn't he remember what happened that morning?? But Seungcheol, obviously, didn't care less about him being scared and it took the slightest narrowing of his eye for Jeonghan to cower and slink his way into line at the back of the cafeteria. The woman at the start of the line had given him a dirty look when he grabbed two plastic trays but before he could try to explain himself, her eyes landed on his wrist and she told him to go ahead. The rest of the staff didn't bat at eye, simply giving him two servings of each food item. After being given two paper cups of water, Jeonghan returned to the table as quickly as he could without spilling anything, all too aware of the staring eyes on him. Seungcheol had rewarded him with a demeaning pat on the head.

The five men had formed a circle, Seungcheol sat in the plastic desk chair, Hoshi and The8 on the bottom bunk, Vernon standing with his back against the wall next to the desk and Mingyu and Wonu sat on the floor. Jeonghan stands awkwardly in the background, not knowing what's going on or what to do. He gnaws on his bottom lip, fingers picking at a sleeve. Seungcheol eventually seems to remember his existence for he finally turns his attention to the brunet. The five men naturally follow his gaze and Jeonghan shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"He's not staying for this is he?" Vernon asks. Hoshi scoffs.

"Like hell he is - we don't know anything about him. He can't be trusted yet. For all we know, he could be a bug for those Nct bastards." He spits.

"So where's he gonna go?" Mingyu questions, scanning the man head to toe with an unimpressed face. "Look at him - he can't fight off anyone. He's nothing but skin and bones." Jeonghan glances down at his body, growing self conscious by the second. They were just talking about him like he wasn't standing right there.

"Angel." Jeonghan looks up through his lashes, bringing a hand up to brush the hair that had fallen in his face away. Seungcheol is watching him with an unreadable look, rubbing his hands together slowly. He seems to come to a decision after a few seconds and huffs through his nose. "Go find something to do."

"H-huh?" Jeonghan's mouth falls open, features morphing into disbelief.

"You heard me. You can't stay here, Soonyoung has a point, you can't be trusted yet. We don't know anything about you, you don't know anything about us and we ain't taking chances."

"B-but...but what- what if someone attacks me?" Jeonghan asks and even he can hear how pitiful and scared he sounds.

"You're wearing my mark. Only a dumbass is gonna try to mess with a marked bitch. Go."

"B-" Seungcheol's brow twitches and Jeonghan clamps his mouth shut, gulping. He looks down at his tattooed wrist, at the five men, and at Seungcheol, all of which who are waiting impatiently for him to leave. He nods, more to himself than anyone else, steeling his racing heart, and exits the cell.

Jeonghan walks down the corridor in the direction of the steps leading to the cafeteria on shaky legs. His steps are slow and unsure and he doesn't really know where to go. He remembers a guard pointing out the indoor gym and recreation room in passing early that morning when he'd first arrived but he'd been too busy crying and internally panicking to pay much attention to anything.

Lost in his own head now, he nearly trips when he hits the messed up fifth step from the bottom and catches himself on the handrail. Luckily for him the cafeteria is empty other than sounds coming from the kitchen, the staff there cleaning and preparing the evening meal, and a couple guards who don't react to his near fall. Jeonghan flushes either way, carefully placing his feet on the last few steps.

When he hits the floor, he looks around, unsure. There are two doors at the front of the cafeteria leading down two hallways and he has no idea which one to take. He debates just choosing one and seeing what happens but he quickly decides that, yeah, that's probably not a good idea. So instead he approaches the guard closest to him, subconsciously curling in on himself to look smaller as he gets closer.

"U-um...excuse me?" The man looks at him, blank, but doesn't say anything. "Which door do I need to take to get to the recreation room?" The guard - whose name is on a small badge on the left side of his black uniform button up, Lee Sooman - raises an arm and points to the door closest to them, on the right. "Thank you." Jeonghan bows his head respectfully and makes his way to the door.

The second he opens it, he can tell by sound which way he needs to go. There are several doors, of which only two are open. From the open door on the left side of the hallway comes the sound of weights hitting the ground and clanging against metal weight racks and exerted grunts. Jeonghan moves to the other side of the wide hallway, wanting to put as much distance possible between himself and whoever is in the gym. He continues farther to the second open door which, by process of elimination, he knows is the recreation room and peeks inside.

There's more people in here than he expects but they're all occupied. Some are around a table playing cards in the middle of the room, some are sitting around a tv in the back left corner, and others are doing various activities such as reading, writing, or talking. There are two guards in here, one by the door and the other just walking around the room. Jeonghan feels severely out of place as he slowly comes into the room. Maybe he can sit in an empty corner and be invisible. Just as he starts going to a corner to do exactly that, though, someone taps his shoulder and he flinches violently, hands shooting up to block his face.

"Woah, woah, I'm not going to hurt you!" The voice is light and almost feminine and has Jeonghan peeking past his arms. The man in front of him is...pretty, to say the least. He has a small face, a straight nose and pouty lips. His blonde hair is in a high ponytail and he has long bangs that swoop to the left side of his face. "I didn't know you were gonna be so jumpy," the guy giggles, bringing a hand up to brush his bangs aside, tucking the hair behind his ear. "I'm Minki, but you can call me Ren." 

"Y- Jeonghan. I'm... Jeonghan," he says, uncurling from his defensive position. Ren holds a hand out to him and Jeonghan shakes it, noting that his hands were as delicate looking as his own. He has the urge to ask what on Earth a guy like him did to wind up here but realizes that they're similar in looks and he'd only sound like a hypocrite.

"You don't sound very sure of your own name," Ren says with a smile. Jeonghan huffs out a awkward laugh.

"If I'm being honest, I'm not." He runs his fingers through his hair and Ren does a double take of his arm. At first Jeonghan doesn't know what he's staring at so he looks as well and realizes it's the arm with the tattoo. "Oh." 

"Can I see your wrist?" Jeonghan holds it out to him and Ren inspects the ink before looking back up at him, eyes lighting up. "You've been claimed by S.Coups?"

"Yes...?" Jeonghan doesn't understand why he looks so excited to hear that and Ren must be able to tell by his face.

"It means we can be friends! I'm in Nu'est, Seventeen's brother gang." 

_'Brother...gang?'_

"Huh?"

"Wait. You don't know? Do you not know who you belong to?" Ren looks just as confused as Jeonghan feels.

"I'm...no. I just came here today and I got roomed with Da- S...Coups. I don't know what Seventeen is..."

If Ren catches his slip up, he doesn't show it. Instead he leads Jeonghan over to a more private part of the room and they have a seat at an empty table. Ren leans forward on his elbows and drops his voice. Taking the hint, Jeonghan leans forward as well to listen.

"Seventeen is a gang made up of twelve members. Their leader is Seungcheol, better known as S.Coups. They're kinda a big deal. Their team is full of cold blooded assassins, government level hackers and geniuses. The six who winded up in jail were actually on a mission with us and we got caught. We believe it was a set up from one of our informants who was being a little bitch cause he wanted more money than he'd originally agreed to and we wouldn't budge. Greedy bastard." The blonde grumbles the last part, looking off to the side and shaking his head.

"But that's beside the point. The point is," he grabs Jeonghan's arm, pointing to the ink on it. "You were roomed with and claimed by one of the most powerful and intimidating gang leaders in the area. And we're allies."

"Allies?"

"Mhm!" Ren nods excitedly with a cute smile. "We're all really close. Coups and JR have known each other for a while."

"Who's JR?"

"The leader of Nu'est aka my boyfriend."

Jeonghan gives a single nod. There's just so much information for him to take in and process and it has his head spinning. First day in prison and he was already in a gang. Well...did being owned by the leader of a gang count as being in one? He didn't know. But this was just so much. How did his life even come to this?

Ren cocks his head at him, can see the gears turning in Jeonghan's mind. "You good?"

"Yeah, it's... That's a lot to process."

"Understandable. But hey, now you have a prison friend!" Ren chirps and Jeonghan also wonders how this guy can be so bubbly when he was a) in prison and b) friends with a gang full of quote _"cold blooded assassins"._ Then again that could very well mean his own gang members were ALSO cold blooded assassins and Jeonghan really doesn't want to think about any of that. He thinks he might lose his lunch if his imagination is allowed to roam. "You look like you're going through an existential crisis."

"One of many."

Ren bursts into giggles and Jeonghan finds himself smiling at the contagious sound.

"Trust me, you'll get used to....all this." Ren assures. "The gang thing and being in prison and you have me. Pretty boys gotta stick together right?" He winks and Jeonghan chuckles, the first genuine laugh he's had since the whole mess that landed him here started.

"Right." He taps his fingers on the cushioned top of the foldable table, thinking. "Oh!"

"Yes?"

"What's an Nct? Hoshi said something about me potentially being a bug? But I don't even know who that is."

A dark look crosses Ren's face and Jeonghan raises a brow. "Another thing you need to know about are our rivals. Nct and B.A.P. Seventeen and Nu'est have never gotten along with those assholes. We've been rivals with Nct for some years now - they don't know how to stay on their side of town - but B.A.P is more recent. They've made a pact with Nct in here which is fitting considering both groups are made of power hungry assholes. But, we also have another ally. Some of the members of Exo found themselves in the same situation as us. Led straight into a set up." Ren shakes his head. "Honestly it was probably the same di- I'm getting off topic." 

He pauses to close his eyes and take a breath. When he reopens them he give Jeonghan a serious look. "Avoid B.A.P and Nct at all costs. Your tattoo might protect you when Seungcheol isn't around but not from them. They don't give a fuck who owns you, if you get cornered by them, they'll do whatever they want. Every B.A.P member wears a red piece of cloth around their wrist and the people associated with Nct have slits in their eyebrows. If you're alone and you see red or an eyebrow slit, get the hell out of there. Got it?" 

He waits until Jeonghan nods his understanding and smiles again. "Good. Now, do you know how to play cards?"

"Yeah..."

"Cool, I'm gonna go get a deck."

Jeonghan watches Ren as he stands and jogs over to a small crate containing several games and decks of cards and he sighs to himself. It's already been a hell of a day and it's not even over not to mention it's only been day one. He cuts off any thoughts about the future because he knows it'll only serve to make him paranoid and anxious. So instead he decides to delight in the fact that he has a friend - a gangster who's definitely done illegal stuff and who might have blood on his hands but he's nice to him so a friend nonetheless.

What has his life become?

**Evening Roll Call - 9:30pm**

Jeonghan makes his way to the gravel courtyard outside the cafeteria alongside Seungcheol who holds firmly to his arm as they squeeze out of the doorway that's much too small for the amount of people trying to get through it at once. The man directs them so that Jeonghan is in front of him so he won't get separated again. The grip on his arm is painful but the brunet figures it's in his best interest not to complain. He seems to be on Seungcheol's good side right now and doesn't want to change that.

Floodlights have turned on to lighten up the courtyard in the dimming summer night, the sun having set a bit after dinner had started. The lights were blindingly bright, surrounding the perimeter formed by tall, barbed wire topped fences. Winged insects fly around the lights and the sound of crickets can be heard in the peaceful nighttime air. It's a beautiful night and Seungcheol would much prefer to spend it anywhere but here. Behind bars in a stupid uniform.

After roll call, the inmates are instructed to go their cells for the night, warned that anyone outside of their cell after ten minutes will be penalized. Everyone turns to shuffle back inside but Jeonghan is held in place, Svt holding back just as they'd done that morning and waiting for the crowd to lessen before heading in. Jeonghan looks around the emptying courtyard and meets eyes with Ren who winks at him and makes a playful kissy face that in turn makes him smile.

Seungcheol notices and follows his line of sight. "So I see you've met Minki." He hums. Jeonghan glances at him and he gives a slight nod as permission to respond.

"I met him in the rec room. He said Seventeen and Nu'est are allies." He answers, voice lilting into a question. Seungcheol nods.

"We are."

They don't speak again until they've climbed the stairs and entered their cell, a guard appearing to lock the doors. Jeonghan sits down on the bottom bunk, eyeing the blanket at the end of it but making no move to unfold it. He looks back to Seungcheol and sees the man removing his shirt. His back is turned to Jeonghan who stares at the defined muscles that ripple and shift with his every movement. The only light source is coming from the hallway, barely any moonlight shining through the single tiny barred window high up on the wall.

Jeonghan is broken out of his mini trance by Seungcheol's voice. "Tomorrow you're gonna start training with Mingyu during morning leisure and Soonyoung during afternoon leisure."

Mingyu's name sends a stab a fear through his chest. "Training? Mingyu? Why Mingyu?"

Seungcheol gives him an over the shoulder look that has him flinching. "I'm gonna let that one go cause it's your first day and you're still new to everything. You're weak. You need to build some muscle, so Mingyu is going to act as your personal trainer. He's more patient than I am and I have better things to do. So, starting tomorrow, you'll be going to the indoor gym with him for at least an hour. Then during afternoon leisure, you'll be going to the outdoor gym area for self defense training with Soonyoung."

"But daddy-"

"Angel."

There's finality in his tone and Jeonghan bows his head. "Ok."

"Good girl. Now lay out your blanket and go to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day for you and I don't want to hear a word of complaint. Understood?"

"Yes, daddy." Jeonghan answers, reaching for the blanket. He stands to lay half out over the concrete slab and lies on top, tugging the other half over his body.

He shifts around, trying to find a slightly comfortable position but eventually gives up and just closes his eyes, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep after the day he's had. He hears Seungcheol climb onto the top bunk and moments later, the light in the hallway turns off, flooding the cell in total darkness. Jeonghan can hear the sound of the people in the cells around him moving about, a pair of hushed voices coming from one of them and he curls into a ball. The reality of his situation fully hits him then - _'I'm in prison.' -_ and it feels like a ton of bricks dropping onto his chest.

Before he knows it, he's crying, hand clamped over his mouth to keep from making any sound. He wraps his own arm around himself and brings his knees up to his chest. His eyes are squeezed shut yet pouring tears and his heart is aching. He's shaking and hopes that Seungcheol is asleep and can't hear his sniffles and shuddering breaths.

Jeonghan doesn't know what time it is when he finally falls asleep but welcomes the temporary relief, body relaxing on his hard bed and tears drying on his cheeks.


	2. Get Used To It-Tuesday, August 1 8:30am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to start by saying that this chapter was a STRUGGLE. My brain is fried.
> 
> This story got a lot of love very quickly (to my surprise) and I would like to thank you guys for all the positive feedback and comments on chapter 1! Admittedly, this story is extremely draining to write as I'm putting so much time and thought into it so to see that people like it so much is really rewarding and heartwarming. As I've said before, updates will be slow because every chapter is going to be at LEAST ten thousand words *god help me* and I also have to deal with online school (UGHHH) so thank you for your patience in that regard and I hope each new chapter makes the long wait worth it. I'd also like it to be known that half of this was written while listening to my playlist titled 'Soft boi hours'.
> 
> Ignore any mistakes, this will be edited at a later date when I get the energy to read through this and fix things. I am the only person writing, proofreading and editing so be gentle with me.  
> 
> 
> **obviously I'm not an expert when it come to prisons and ive been doing some research (read: ive done a lot of googling and read the first answers that came up) but this is my au, my universe - i'll do whatever I want. therefore, do not correct me on prison related things because this prison works however I want it to. not that anyone has or will - but just in case anyone tries in the future. my au, my rules.** :) happy reading!

"-showers will be open until 11:30 and reopen during afternoon leisure until dinner. A random cell search will take place during morning leisure and any person caught with contraband will have it confiscated and will be punished accordingly. Today is call day, if you didn't sign up for a slot yesterday, the list for Thursday's call hours will be posted at 10am."

Seungcheol looks at Minghao from the corner of his eye who nods minutely, the action nearly imperceptible. The guard dismisses the prisoners and Seungcheol turns to Mingyu, yanking Jeonghan to his feet by his arm. The brunet reaches his free hand down to rub at an aching knee, brushing the rocks from his pants once more. He's really hoping this won't be an everyday thing.

He's passed off to Mingyu whose grip is surprisingly much gentler. He still cowers, anxiety spiking in his chest as he turns pleading eyes to Seungcheol. The leader just stares back, showing not an ounce of sympathy. Jeonghan bites his tongue, desperately wanting to protest being alone with this giant but his still sore throat and bruising neck is enough of a reminder to keep his mouth shut.

So, Jeonghan allows himself to be carted off, stumbling behind Mingyu and struggling to match his long strides. By the time they reach the indoor gym, he's already out of breath and his legs are a bit tired. Jeonghan has never been a particularly active person. He prefers sleep to exercise and he doesn't think he's ever lifted a weight in his 24 years of life on this planet and it shows immediately.

Mingyu leads him to an open corner, the other two men in the room already absorbed in their own workouts. He lets go of Jeonghan's arm and instructs him to do some stretches before they start. Unsure of what exactly he needs to be stretching, Jeonghan copies Mingyu, lowering himself to the floor to do toe touches. He does whatever the taller male does and finds himself stretching muscles he didn't even know existed.

"You never stretch before?" The words are said teasingly, Mingyu watching him from his peripherals. There's a little smirk tugging at the corner of his lips and Jeonghan doesn't know if he's being playful or mocking him. Probably both. He stays quiet. Mingyu sighs, rising to his feet and offering Jeonghan a hand. He eyes it warily. "Cheol's rules don't apply to me, you know. You can talk. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Without thinking, Jeonghan scoffs, look turning incredulous. "Right, because I have reason to trust you after yesterday." He flinches immediately after, ducking and blocking his head, but Mingyu only laughs.

"I was just doin my job. I get an order, I follow it - no questions asked." He shrugs. "I have no intention of or interest in molesting you...Again. I have a boyfriend."

Jeonghan brings his arms down slowly, not bothering to hide his surprise. "Boyfriend?" As mean as it may sound, he hadn't seen that one coming.

"Yup," Mingyu leans down and grabs his wrist, yanking him to his feet as if he weighed nothing. He lets go immediately after and steps back out of Jeonghan's personal space. "boyfriend. You met him already. Wonu."

Jeonghan stares at him for a moment, trying to remember which one that is. It clicks seconds later right as Mingyu goes to say something, seeing the gears turning in the brunet's head. "He's the one who did my tattoo." he recalls, touching said area subconsciously. "The cat like one who I haven't heard talk."

Mingyu laughs at that and the bubbly sound catches Jeonghan off guard. He's smiling and looks far less intimidating than before. It seems like all the members have this sort of duality where they go from looking like they could kill someone with nothing but their pinky finger to completely harmless. _Maybe it's a gang thing,_ Jeonghan thinks. After all, he'd seen a hint of the same duality in Ren yesterday; the way his eyes darkened when Jeonghan had asked about Nct.

"Yeah, that one." Mingyu confirms when he stops laughing. "He wasn't too happy about the stunt Coups had me pull but, y'know," Mingyu shrugs. "A job's a job."

No, Jeonghan doesn't know but he nods anyway, hoping that said boyfriend doesn't hate him or view him as a threat or anything. He remembers the speed at which Wonu had grabbed his arm - Jeonghan doesn't need context clues to know that Wonu is probably the silent but deadly type. He surely does not want to end up a target. He's knocked out of his slowly panicking train of thought by what was most likely meant to be a nudge that in reality sends him stumbling a few steps. Jeonghan has to tilt his head back to look at Mingyu who's watching him with a quirked brow.

"You good? You look two seconds from passing out."

"Considering my current predicament," Jeonghan gestures vaguely to the room with its banged up equipment and sweat soaked floor and walls. "'good' is the last word I would use to describe my emotions."

Mingyu hums. "You'll get used to it." he says dismissively, turning to a treadmill. He nods at the one next to him and Jeonghan steps on with a sigh. So it begins. "How's your endurance?"

"If you're asking me if I can run a mile then the answer is no." he replies, bending over to securely roll up his far too long pant legs. The last thing he needs is to trip on one and face plant on a moving treadmill.

"You've gotten comfortable awfully fast." Mingyu notes in amusement and Jeonghan shrinks into himself. "I'm not mad, _Angel,_ " he snickers as Jeonghan flushes, pressing the begin button on the treadmill to start walking. "I just thought you would take a little more warming up for you talk to me. Guess not."

Jeonghan huffs, pressing the begin button on his own treadmill. "Well it's not like you know anything about me." he mumbles, watching the heartrate monitor on the tiny screen. His hands are on the safety bars on either side of the machine, his grip on the peeling and torn foam padding tightening unconsciously. Mingyu notices the change in demeanor and stares at Jeonghan with an unreadable expression. Jeonghan tries to ignore the very obvious and piercing stare but Mingyu keeps staring. There are many things on this Earth that Jeonghan can't stand. And being stared at is at the top of that list of things. So, when Mingyu just _keeps staring,_ he finally turns to him with a huff of _"What?"_

Instead of answering, Mingyu turns back to his own treadmill and begins to up the speed. "We're gonna run a mile, up your speed to 7." He instructs, playfulness completely gone from his voice.

Jeonghan does as told with a sigh, mentally cursing Seungcheol for making him do this at 9 in the morning. The abrupt speed change already has his legs burning and he's very quickly losing his breath. Mingyu on the other hand is completely unaffected, face blank and lips pressed together. Jeonghan glares enviously at him from the corner of his eye. The vast difference of stamina is embarrassing and Jeonghan tries to make his struggling less obvious, attempting to even out his breathing. His hair is bouncing as he jogs and he wishes he had a hair tie. His forehead is beading with sweat and he has to keep brushing away the hair that sticks to his skin. He's not even at half a mile and he's already exhausted.

There's a sudden obnoxious laugh that distracts the brunet and causes him to stumble when his head instinctively swivels in search of the source. He grabs the safety bars and places his feet on either side of the still moving track - a welcome break to his aching legs. His eyes land on a group of four burly men who are very clearly looking at him and laughing, sleazy smiles on their unshaven faces. One of them, the shortest of the four with a bald head and thick neck, calls out to Jeonghan.

"Look at the princess, can't even run a minute without losing her breath! Bet she can't even lift a three pound weight." this elicits more guffaws and Jeonghan chews on the inside of his lip, head dropping so that his hair falls over his face. "Why don't you leave the working out to a real man, huh? Don't you have a cock to be sucking? Matter'a fact, we got four for you right here. Come make yourself useful, huh?"

"How about you get the fuck out of here." Jeonghan flinches at the growl of a voice from behind him. He peeks over his shoulder to see that Mingyu has stopped his treadmill and is pinning the men with a deadly glare. If looks could kill, they would be pushing daisies. Mingyu steps off of the treadmill and stalks forward in much the same manner he'd approached Jeonghan the previous day. It has the desired affect as two of the four immediately take steps back. Mingyu towers over all of them, the top of the bald ones head only reaching to his chest and forcing him to tilt his head back to look at Mingyu.

"And who the fuck are you? Think I'm scared just cause I'm shorter, bitch? I'll kick your ass." the bald man spits. Mingyu grabs him by the collar and Jeonghan has to restrain a shocked gasp as the man's feet leave the floor. He's a stocky guy, looks like he weighs at least 270, but Mingyu lifts him easily with one arm and Jeonghan is back to fearing for his life. The other three men have all backed down by this point and the bald man is sputtering in embarrassed rage, veins bulging in his reddening skin as Mingyu brings their faces so close their noses almost touch.

"I won't repeat myself. Either you leave or I kick your ass. Your choice, _bitch_." He hisses then drops the man who loses his footing and falls on his ass. He stands quickly and looks ready to charge Mingyu when he's grabbed by the shoulders.

"That's one of Coups' men - you don't want to fight him." One of the others warns and Jeonghan can see the nervousness in his eyes. "Motherfucker's are insane."

Mingyu and the bald one stare each other down for a good minute before the shorter man spits at Mingyu's feet then turns heel and leaves, spitting curses as he goes. The other three follow behind him and Mingyu waits till they're out of sight to return to his treadmill. Jeonghan glances at the guard who'd been there the entire time yet didn't lift a finger. He's staring stoically at the wall across from him, not having moved from that position despite the near fight that almost broke out. _'This must happen a lot.'_ That thought sends an unwanted shiver of fear down his spine.

"Fucking assholes," Mingyu mutters beneath his breath as he starts jogging again. Jeonghan looks down at the still moving track beneath him, at a still fuming Mingyu, then the track again, and starts to jog.

**Call Booth 8 - 10:35am, Minghao**

"You get ten minutes," The guard mutters as he stops outside of the designated call booth. Minghao nods once, grabbing the door handle and twisting it open slowly. From his peripheral he sees the discreet V sign the guard does on the pant of his leg, gone just as quickly as it appeared. He enters the small room that could barely be classified as such, grabbing the phone from where it hung on the wall and waiting for his call to be connected. The line is silent for a couple moments before there's a crackle of static and finally a voice.

"HaoHao?"

"I'm here." he answers in Chinese. There's a camera in the room - top left corner- and he only knows it's there because they're his favorite; discreet and almost imperceptible unless you knew what to look for. Every call is being monitored, he knows, but he also knows that no guard in the facility can speak or fully understand his native language. Idiots. "Catch me up."

Minghao listens patiently as he's updated on the situations around base. Things are running smoothly for the most part - as smoothly as they can with half the group absent. Chan and Seokmin are still tracking down the bitchass informant who conveniently fell off the face of the earth after the incident. He and Seungkwan have been on constant supply runs to make up for the three months spent in hiding, and the masterminds - Jisoo and Jihoon- have been working late into the night more and more, perfecting everything and keeping their systems running.

"I know it's been more than two weeks like I promised but we had to lay low for a bit. Street's been crawling with those Nct assholes - what's left of them anyway. We don't know what they want but they've been getting too close for comfort, agitating everyone. Had to stop Jihoon from wasting a bomb to blow up the fucker's van." Junhui informs. "Jisoo thinks they're trying to find us but fuck if we know why. They really must be set on trying to take over our streets and we're all this close to kicking their asses. They should know by now that we're much smarter and stronger than them, cut in half or together."

"Those idiots are the least of your concerns. We have one main objective so don't let them distract you from it. Have the new cams come in?"

"Chan got them last night - easiest raid we could've gone on so he went alone. Jisoo and Jihoon have already made the placement sketches and we're sending Seokmin and Seungkwan to install them Thursday. Obviously it would be better if we had you there to oversee but..."

"I've trained them well so there should be no worries but if you're that concerned, go with them."

There's a pause - Junhui is probably shaking his head, forgetting that he can't be seen - before he responds. "No, I trust them and your expertise. You trust their training so why wouldn't I?"

Minghao hums and there's another pause where they just...exist. Minghao listens to Junhui's soft breaths, every other one coming out as a tiny huff through his nose. His own breaths are silent, undetectable, like him. They remain silent for another few minutes, millions of thoughts and questions running through both of their heads but eventually they settle on one unison thought, spoken simultaneously. 

"I miss you." the words are whispered like a forbidden prayer, hidden in their tired sighs. There are three knocks on the booth door.

"Tell the kids to be careful with my cams," Minghao murmurs, a quiet threat in his gentle words. "Tell them I'll cut off their hands if they mess up."

Junhui chuckles. "Now who's the one doubting? I'll make sure to pass on the message."

Minghao exits the booth and is escorted through the dingy corridor to the prisoner half of the facility. The guard slows his steps as they near the door and he follows suit, facing the man as they come to a stop. He tilts his head, left eyebrow raising just barely at the elf eared man. "Yes or no? Coups hyung doesn't like to be kept waiting - he wants my reports now."

"Yes and no," the man answers, glancing around once and lowering his voice further. "I have three right now but I'll have to wait until the 25th for the rest as not to raise suspicion."

"Why so long?"

"Stock day. We'll be getting some replacements and new ones as well as...'extra help'. If any more vanish into thin air before then, they'll do a search. It already took me three days and 10,000₩ to get Jaesung to do the little number change in order for me to get what I have." The man shakes his head, scoffs his annoyance. "I'm doing my best alright?"

Minghao gives a single nod and pushes through the door leading into the cafeteria. He makes his way through the mostly empty area, bee lining to the stairs. He climbs them quickly and silently, not a single footstep echoing off the busted concrete. He enters Seungcheol's cell where he, expectedly, finds him in the desk chair, waiting. There's a paper on the desk behind him and a pencil laying on top of it and Soonyoung is hanging over the side of the bottom bed, twisting a ring round and round his middle right finger, looking bored. Had Seungcheol not already been facing the door, neither of them would've noticed his sudden presence.

Seungcheol sits up in the chair and beckons him in. "You're late."

"Chanyeol hyung stopped me." he says by way of explanation.

"Does he have them?"

"No. He has three and won't get the rest until the 25th."

The leader 'tsk's but doesn't question any further. "Alright, what did Junhui tell you?"

**Showers - 11:15am, Mingyu and Jeonghan**

If Jeonghan had to choose just one thing he dreaded most about going to prison, this - _showering_ in the open with several other men - would be it. There's a ball of dread sitting heavy in his stomach as he grabs a towel and washcloth from two neat stacks and receives a small bag of toiletries as well, holding them tightly in one hand and his new bar of soap in the other, change of clothes thrown over his left shoulder. He's visibly trembling and his heart is pounding as he follows Mingyu into a small locker room type area where they switch their tennis shoes for shower slippers and strip. There are three other people in there with them, all in various states of undress and all seemingly unbothered - which is understandable considering they were probably used to this. If Jeonghan had to pick one thing he _hates_ about prison it would have to be the lack of privacy.

He takes a hesitant seat on one of three wooden benches and leans down to untie his shoes and slip them off along with his socks, tucking them into his shoes and sliding them beneath the bench. For a couple seconds Jeonghan just sits there, head down and eyes closed, trying to steel himself for the inevitable fact that he had to take his clothes off with absolutely no privacy. He hears Mingyu's impatient voice telling him to hurry up and opens his eyes. The locker room is empty besides them and Mingyu is standing by the shower entrance with his towel hanging low on his hips and arms crossed over his tan chest. Jeonghan swallows, standing and turning his back to the man. He takes off the uniform jacket followed by the white short sleeved t-shirt. He can still feel Mingyu's scrutinizing gaze and glances at him.

"Can...can you not look at me? Please?"

"Trust me," Mingyu scoffs. "This isn't the only time I'll be seeing you naked."

Jeonghan doesn't want to think about what he might mean by that. He sighs. "Please? I'm uncomfortable and you watching me isn't going to make me move any faster."

Mingyu releases a long-suffering sigh but throws his head back and looks at the ceiling. "Fine."

Jeonghan undoes his drawstring and the much too large pants immediately fall to pool around his ankles. He drops his boxers and quickly covers himself with his towel. He takes his clothes and dumps them into the communal laundry box, nearly gagging at the putrid smell coming from the other uniforms in there. He makes his way to Mingyu, slippers on, washcloth, toiletries pouch, and soap in hand. The taller male looks at him and gestures to the open entrance. There's no door leading to the shower area and Jeonghan can hear a few voices coming from inside the actual showers along with the sound of running water. He pauses and seriously considers not showering. He doesn't consider it for very long because he's still sticky with drying sweat and hot water on his sore body sounds _heavenly,_ so he gathers what little courage he has and enters.

Four of the overall twenty stalls are occupied, each individual shower separated by a waist high wall which also acted as the only semblance of privacy. Toilets and sinks are located through a second doorway past the showers. Jeonghan shuffles over to an empty shower that's the furthest away from the other showering men and Mingyu chooses one a few stalls over. He checks his surroundings, paranoid despite knowing that no one would see his naked lower half unless they came closer, before unwrapping his towel, draping it over the of the waist high tile wall to keep it from getting wet. He turns the handle and is hit by a spray of ice cold water. It takes a minute to warm up but doesn't seem to go past lukewarm. Jeonghan huffs softly. He hates lukewarm water. It's an uncomfortable mix of cool and warm and just doesn't feel right. But, he figures, it could be worse. At least he doesn't have to take a freezing shower.

He grabs his washcloth then pauses when he sees his tattoo. It'd somehow slipped his mind that he now had S.COUPS in all caps needled into his skin. It throbs dully and he wonders if he can wash that part of his arm. He's never had a tattoo - is there some sort of special soap he's supposed to wash it with? How do these things work? Is he allowed to get it wet? He doesn't know but, seeing as Wonu isn't around to answer his questions - if he even would, that is - he decides to take his chances. Jeonghan puts his arm beneath the stream of water to test and other than a slight sting from his still sensitive skin, nothing happens. He lathers his washcloth, carefully sets the soap back on the ledge, and begins to wash himself.

He gently washes his tattooed wrist first, hissing at the rough drag of the washcloth against his tender skin before moving on to the rest of his body. He takes stock of his forming bruises. One on the inside of his leg where his pelvis meets his thigh from Seungcheol pinching him and another around his upper arm resulting from his manhandling. His fingers touch lightly over his sore neck and he wants to look in a mirror to see how bad these ones are but he's also grateful for the lack of mirrors. There's another lighter bruise on his hip from when Seungcheol had thrown him to the ground multiple times. He washes over the areas gently and has a steadily growing feeling of resentment toward Seungcheol for treating him like nothing more than a ragdoll.

When it comes to washing his hair, Jeonghan looks at the soap in disdain. He longs for his shampoo and conditioner, mourns that he's being forced to use some off brand, no name, cheap soap to clean his hair. Again, he's seriously considering not washing his hair, but it takes him an even shorter time to decide that, yeah, that isn't happening. So he sucks it up and grabs the soap, mentally apologizing to his hair.

By the time he's dressed, this time in a thankfully much better fitting uniform, and he and Mingyu are leaving the shower area, it's almost time for lunch. Jeonghan's stomach rumbles as they pass through the cafeteria and Mingyu laughs at him.

"Hungry after you little work out?"

"Of course I'm hungry," Jeonghan mutters defensively, wrapping his arms around his stomach self consciously. "and that was not a "little workout". My legs are dead. What sane person does fifty squats after running a mile?" he groans miserably as they climb the stairs, his legs burning with each step.

"Listen, I was told to put some muscle on you. I'm just following orders." Mingyu says with a shrug. They stop talking once they near Seungcheol and Jeonghan's cell, hushed voices coming from within. Mingyu enters first and Jeonghan stands just inside the doorway as awkwardly as he had the previous afternoon.

"Angel, come." Seungcheol beckons.

The brunet comes, scooting between Vernon and the bunk beds to reach the man in the chair. He stands next to him, unsure of what to do until he's guided to kneel on the right side of Seungcheol's chair. Fingers card through his slightly damp hair and he has to resist the urge to move away from the touch. He sits stock still, head bowed and fists clenched on either side of him. His legs ache and humiliation burns through his body, tinting his cheeks the lightest of pink.

"Did he complain?" the question is directed at Mingyu who shrugs.

"Nope. But I'm guessing it's because he was scared after I had to chase off some dickheads."

"What?" the fingers petting his hair stop and tighten the slightest bit that still has Jeonghan wincing, his scalp also sore from yesterday. An involuntary whine slips past his lips but no one pays any mind.

"Your little Angel got some unwanted attention when we were running. Assholes made fun of him for his lack of endurance so I told them to fuck off." Mingyu smirks at the memory. "And it seems our reputation precedes us cause one of 'em knew who I am."

Seungcheol returns to petting his hair and Jeonghan peeks through his lashes at where Mingyu is sat next to Wonu, his arm around the man's shoulders and yet again he looks so harmless. He and Wonu lock eyes and Jeonghan's blood turns to ice. Cat-like eyes bore into his own and he gulps, looking back at the floor. Well shit.

Mercifully, the shrill sound of a bell rings through the air seconds later. Seungcheol pulls Jeonghan to his feet by the arm and the brunet stumbles into him. His legs are asleep, his ankles throbbing and knees aching from kneeling. The gang leader huffs but steadies him, holding him by the forearms. His men have already left the cell, going on ahead to claim their usual table and get lunch before the cafeteria flooded with more people.

"You're pitiful," Seungcheol scoffs judgmentally. Jeonghan flushes further with embarrassment, his tiny whimper only serving to further prove the man's point. "Such a liability." Seungcheol continues to berate, grabbing him by the chin and forcing his head up. "Sit on your knees for five minutes and you can't stand straight. So pitiful. You're lucky I'm the one who claimed you - anyone else woulda torn you to pieces by now. You'd be sitting in the infirmary, delicate little body can't handle shit."

Jeonghan snatches away from his grip, humiliated and pissed. "I'm not delicate. You're just a fucking asshole." he spits back, tugging uselessly at his left arm still being held. "My legs are already hurting cause of the stupid workout you made me do and then you make me sit on them like some fucking dog - let me go!" Seungcheol's hold turns bruising and Jeonghan yelps. His grip continues to tighten and Jeonghan is pretty sure his arm is going numb; his knees buckle, jaw dropping as pain radiates up his arm. He's released after another painful moment and collapses, cradling his numb lower arm to his chest and trying to ward away the tears threatening to fill his eyes. What in the hell did Seungcheol just do to him?

A shadow covers him, blocking the little slivers of sunlight filtering in through the tiny barred window, and Jeonghan cowers. "I suggest," Seungcheol speaks lowly, voice sounding oddly calm. "I suggest you watch what you say to me. There are many...many things I could do to you. What I just did, and what I did yesterday, was nothing. I can do so much worse and I will if you continue to test me, you ungrateful bitch." a hint of anger seeps into his tone as he reaches out to yank Jeonghan's head back by the hair. "You're under my protection. You're wearing _my_ mark. You shook my hand agreeing to my terms yet here you are, disrespecting your owner. I own you, bitch. Don't you fucking forget it." He pushes Jeonghan to the ground, shoving his cheek into the concrete. "You stay right fucking here. I'm going to lunch and you're gonna stay right here with your face to the floor and you're not gonna move until I come back up to deal with you. If you listen, maybe you'll get to eat dinner. Maybe."

Seungcheol stands and Jeonghan cries out when the toe of the gangster's shoe comes in contact with his stomach. He curls into himself, eyes squeezing shut. "Stay on the fucking ground. Understand?"

Jeonghan nods but there's suddenly a pressure on his neck that has his eyes flying open. Seungcheol's foot is on his neck and he's got that murderous look back in his eye.

"Use your words, stupid bitch."

"Yes! Yes, I understand." Jeonghan whimpers and more pressure is put on his neck. He panics, hands flying to grab Seungcheol's ankle to stop him, voice pitching higher in fear. "I understand, daddy."

"Get you fucking hands off of me." 

Jeonghan pulls them away, wrapping his arms around himself. Seungcheol steps over him but turns and kicks him in the side before he leaves the cell. Jeonghan cries out again, rolling away and writhing, curling further into himself. He hears Seungcheol's fading footsteps and promptly bursts into tears. His heart is pounding and his stomach is churning with fear and panic and pain and he wants nothing more than for the floor to open up and swallow him. He's hungry and achy, scared out of his wits and this is only his second day. The realization has him crying more, covering his mouth with one hand to muffle his strangled sobs.

 _'I want to go home.'_ he wails mentally, his head ringing with the desperate mantra. _'I want to go home, I want to go home.'_

Seungcheol enters the cafeteria still fuming and takes his seat with a huff. The five men glance at him but return to their meals without a word. Putting two and two together doesn't take very long - one is pissed and the other nowhere to be seen - so they merely wait for him to calm down enough to give some type of order. Surely enough, after a few minutes of eating, he seems to have calmed down at least slightly because he finally speaks. "Soonyoung."

"Yeah, boss?" the cherubic cheeked man says, not looking up from his own tray.

"I'm postponing your self-defense lesson for thirty minutes."

"Will he at least be able to walk?" Soonyoung asks with a sigh. "There's sorta no point in trying to teach self defense if he can't, y'know, _move_ himself."

"Very funny. He'll be sent to the outdoor gym when I'm done with him." he turns his focus to Vernon who quirks a brow. "You and Minghao will stand at the top of the stairs. I don't want anyone coming up until I'm done." Vernon gives him a thumbs up and Minghao nods.

"Need us to do anything?" Mingyu asks, motioning to Wonu and himself.

"Yeah, handle that meeting with Nu'est. Tell 'em I have a bitch to break in."

"So you do know how to listen."

Jeonghan flinches violently when he hears the voice of the man he's been dreading for the last hour. There's a mean laugh behind him and it only grows the knot in his stomach. Seungcheol's steps are slow, calculated, and they echo dully in the cell. They stop and Jeonghan wants to turn his head, see exactly where the gang leader is standing now but he's terrified to move so he stays curled up. His eyes are swollen, the only remaining evidence of his tears from earlier and he hopes it's not too noticeable. Seungcheol already thinks he's pitiful.

"Kneel."

The brunet pushes himself to a sitting position on shaky arms. His movements are nearly mechanical in the way he slowly turns and tucks his legs beneath himself, sitting on his haunches. His hands rest flat on his thighs, chin tucked to his chest. Calloused finger tangle in his hair and he has the feeling this is yet another thing he'll have to get used to. Predictably, his head is yanked back and he meets Seungcheol's eye. His expression is unreadable and Jeonghan starts babbling before he can even think.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, daddy. Please...please don't hurt me - I won't disrespect you again. I-"

"Shut up." Seungcheol snaps and the smaller male bites his bottom lip, trembling. "If I wanted an apology I would've asked for one, bitch, and begging isn't gonna help you." he walks to the beds, his handful of hair resulting in Jeonghan being forced to scramble behind on his knees. He sits on the bottom bunk and directs Jeonghan to kneel in front of him. "Now, here's what's going to happen. You have a self-defense lesson in thirty minutes and because I'm a man of my word when I make plans and give instructions, you'll be leaving in decent enough condition to learn whatever it is he's teaching you today. So, because you decided to behave like a bratty little girl who has no respect for the man protecting her, you'll be punished like one. Stand up and pull down your pants and underwear."

Jeonghan's eye widen and his face instantly turns crimson. "W-what?" the second the word leaves his mouth, his head is snapping to the side from the force of a slap. He gasps at the suddenness of it, left cheek stinging.

"I don't remember giving you permission to speak. Do as I said before you piss me off more." Seungcheol growls. Jeonghan rises to his feet and undoes his drawstring. He tucks his thumbs in the waistband of his pants but hesitates and that moment of hesitation is enough to make Seungcheol snap. Within seconds his pants are around his ankles along with his boxers and he's knocked breathless as he's thrown over Seungcheol's lap. His arms are pinned behind him before he can comprehend what's happening, one of Seungcheol's arms laying heavily over his back and his free hand roughly groping at his exposed ass. "You keep fucking testing me."

He squirms, humiliation becoming the prominent emotion due to his exposed state. The hand leaves his ass only to come back down in a hard slap on his right cheek. Jeonghan yelps more from shock than pain and squirms harder. The second hit to his left cheek is twice as hard and has Jeonghan squeaking in response. Seungcheol's arm is firm over his lower back and no matter how much he wriggles, Jeonghan can't seem to dislodge it. Seungcheol presses down more against his back which in turn presses Jeonghan's chest down more into his knee and makes breathing a difficult task.

Jeonghan fights harder as the spanks begin to rain down in succession over his ass. The harder he fights, the harder the hits get until one particular hit has him crying out louder than the rest. The fight leaves him but the spanks never let up; harsh, powerful blows that quickly have his skin reddening. Tears prickle at Jeonghan's eyes and his head drops, humiliation and shame filling his chest. Seungcheol's hand is heavy and relentless, making sure to hit every part of his ass. Jeonghan is trying his hardest to stay even the slightest bit composed but his ass is in so much pain and he can't escape the bruising spanks. The first tear falls and he watches it hit the floor then starts to full on cry. He writhes on Seungcheol's lap, legs kicking and hips twisting in a fruitless attempt to escape the abuse.

He starts to babble again, desperately begging Seungcheol to stop, a stream of _'_ _no_ 's and _'please'_ s spilling from him between sobs. His hips are jerking from each jolt of pain, his poor cock trapped helplessly against the leader's thigh, rubbing incessantly against the rough fabric of his pants. Much to Jeonghan's horror, the unpleasant stimulation makes a sudden and wholly unwelcome shift and he feels himself start to harden. He hopes against all hope that Seungcheol doesn't notice but, because he believes the universe hates him, he does. He stops spanking him and instead gropes at his ass which only makes the pain more intense. Jeonghan is biting on his lip to muffle his sounds and tries to will away his growing erection. He isn't enjoying any bit of this yet here his body is betraying him.

"And what's this? Is my little Angel getting turned on by her punishment?" Seungcheol teases, hand leaving his ass to slip beneath his body and grab at his cock. Jeonghan tries to twist away but Seungcheol's hold on his wrists tightens until he stills. He rubs his thumb over his cockhead and Jeonghan releases a surprised moan. His hips twitch involuntarily, bucking into the touch. He squeezes his eyes shut, mortified.

"No, don't - d-don't touch me," he protests weakly. "Don't touch me."

"You still don't understand." Seungcheol pushes Jeonghan's chest back into his knee, landing three hard slaps to his ass. Jeonghan's strangled cries come belatedly, pain sending his mind reeling. Seungcheol grips his left cheek, blunt nails digging into his red skin. "This ass is mine." He flips Jeonghan over and grabs his cock with the same amount of force. "This pitiful little clit is mine." His hand trails further up Jeonghan's body to pinch at a nipple. Jeonghan whines, back arching as the sensitive bud is tugged. "This body, this mouth, every strand of hair is mine. We made a deal and you were warned. You will not tell me what I can and can't do. Understand?"

"Yes, daddy!" Jeonghan's body sags in relief when his abused nipple is released. With a single shove, he's on the floor, wincing when his bare back lands on the concrete. He's barely given a chance to sit up before a hand is tangling in his hair and dragging him to his knees again.

Seungcheol's cock is out, hanging heavy and hard between his legs. Jeonghan is brought face to face with it again and his mouth drops open.

"Good girl." Seungcheol smirks. "I didn't even have to tell you." he guides his length into Jeonghan's waiting mouth, simultaneously pulling him forward by the hair until he's gagging, nose pressed into the gangster's pubic hair. Jeonghan's mouth is filling with saliva and he's quickly running out of air. Seungcheol pulls him off, allowing him a single breath before burying himself in the brunet's throat again.

Seungcheol hold him there and watches Jeonghan struggle. Watches his eyes flutter as he blinks through tears, his throat convulsing as he chokes and gags on his girth, his twitching hands that want to push away, his softening cock resting on a pale thigh. He runs a finger through the spit coating Jeonghan's chin, smears it into his cheek. "So messy, Angel."

He tugs Jeonghan off his cock again and the male splutters and coughs, choking on the mix of saliva and precum flooding his mouth as he fights for air. His cheeks are ruddy and tear stained and Seungcheol coos condescendingly at the sight. "Can't even take cock properly without crying like a little bitch." He says. "Soon, though, I'll have you molded into a perfect little cocksucker. The perfect little cockslut. I'll have you begging for it, eager to get on your knees and please me." He tilts his head. "You should be thanking me. Taking time out my busy day to train you. I had a meeting to go to but here I am instead, having to teach my disrespectful, ungrateful bitch a lesson."

Seungcheol grabs Jeonghan's face, fingers pressing so tightly it forces his mouth open. "You should be thankful I'm letting you suck my cock. Thank me, bitch. Thank me for letting you suck my cock when you don't even deserve it."

"Th-thank you, daddy." Jeonghan murmurs.

"For what?"

Jeonghan averts his gaze as humiliation washes over him in a burning wave but Seungcheol isn't having it and tightens his grip until their eyes meet again. The words are sitting on Jeonghan's tongue, shame and embarrassment keeping them from being spoken. He's never felt so belittled in his life, treated like a ragdoll and then expected to be thankful for it. Another emotion bubbles up within him. Rage. He wants to spit in Seungcheol's face. Wants to punch him. Break his nose - _something_ to show him that he wasn't some toy to be played with and used as he wishes.

But fear is also there, reminding him of what the man in front of him is capable of. What he can and will do to Jeonghan when he's pissed off. The reminder is there in his ass which aches so deeply he'll be feeling it for days, in the several bruises scattered over his body; there in the scratchiness of his throat and burning of his scalp. He can't fight Seungcheol. He's weak.

Pitiful.

And he technically did agree to this. So, he stamps down whatever remaining pride he has left and answers shakily, "Thank you for...for allowing me to s-suck your cock even though I d-don't deserve it."

Seungcheol can see the exact moment the last ounce of fight leaves his eyes and his smirk widens into a cocky smile. "Good girl." 

Just as he'd told them, Jeonghan comes limping out of the cell thirty minutes later - Vernon had been keeping an eye on time with his watch. The longhaired man is disheveled, white t-shirt wrinkled and uniform pant drawstrings clumsily retied. He's staring at his feet, arms wrapped around himself, so he doesn't notice the two men standing on the landing until Vernon clears his throat. He startles, doe-eyed as he looks between them, a mix of horror and embarrassment crossing his face as he realizes they must've been here the entire time.

"Come," Minghao says and Jeonghan thinks this is the first time he's heard his voice. It's quiet, soft-spoken in a soothing yet dangerous sort of way. "I'll show you to the outdoor gym courtyard."

He turns and starts down the stairs without waiting to see if Jeonghan will follow. He trails after the pink haired male, notices how his footsteps are silent even as soft thuds can be heard from his own steps. His stomach grumbles as they pass through the cafeteria and he can smell food being made. It's loud in the semi-silence and Minghao's head turns slightly, glancing at him. Jeonghan wraps his arms tighter around his waist. They go through the door on the right and he's led past the indoor gym and rec room, through a second door and right turn, down a shorter hallway with a lower ceiling and wider walls with a door leading to another courtyard propped open.

Minghao leads him to the door and Jeonghan peeks into the courtyard. This one is at least twice the size of the courtyard next to the cafeteria and has grass instead of gravel. There's a rectangle of concrete that acts as a basketball court, two net less hoops on either end. There are random pieces of equipment scattered about - pull up bars, giant tires and such - and five sets of wooden tables with benches also scattered about. There's many more prisoners and guards out here than in the rec room or indoor gym and Jeonghan subconsciously rolls up his right sleeve to expose his tattooed wrist. Minghao points him to a lone man sitting on one of the tables closest to the door. "That's Hoshi. Go, it's time for your lesson."

Jeonghan is hesitant to walk out, as if the doorway is some sort of safety net protecting him from the outside. "Can-" when he looks beside him, Minghao is gone. He whirls around. The hallway is empty. Jeonghan wonders how he didn't notice or hear him leaving. It freaks him out but he doesn't have time to dwell on it as a passing guard patrolling the courtyard tells him to either come outside or go find something else to do.

"Stop standing there like a creep." He mutters and the brunet flushes, bowing apologetically and stepping onto the grass.

Jeonghan approaches the man slowly and his head whips up, slanted eyes pinning him in a fierce stare. Jeonghan halts, shrinking back a tiny bit. Hoshi is just watching him but there's something so predatory in his eyes that it has his fight or flight kicking into gear and he's favoring the latter. Gulping, Jeonghan takes a few more steps and stops half a foot from the end of the table. He's becoming increasingly uneasy the longer Hoshi watches him, face carefully void of any emotion.

"U-um...I'm here." he says dumbly, voice crackly and barely audible. Hoshi continues to stare him down but his lips twitch, slowly spreading into a smile that makes him look more like a predator. 

He hops down from the table and lands lightly on his feet. Jeonghan's also starting to get a cat like feel from him but unlike Wonu, Hoshi makes him feel as if he's being stalked by a big cat as he takes a couple steps toward Jeonghan. "So, he did leave you in decent enough condition to walk." Hoshi says, a note of amusement in his words as he circles Jeonghan who follows him with his eyes, unnerved. He flushes - they all know. Of course they all know. Hoshi stands in front of him, hands slipping into his pockets. "You know anything about self defense?" he sighs when Jeonghan shakes his head. "Alright, let's start with the basics."

**Dinner - 8:00pm, Jeonghan and Ren**

Jeonghan nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels a tap on his shoulder. To his relief, it's only Ren who'd somehow managed to wind up behind him in line when he hadn't been there before. He adjusts his grip on the two trays in his hand as the line moves forward slightly. "You're gonna give me a heart attack." he scolds the blond who only giggles at him.

"Sorry," he says, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "I missed you during afternoon leisure, Hannie. JR said you got in trouble cause he was supposed to be meeting with Coups hyung but Mingyu and Wonu showed up instead." 

Jeonghan's head drops. Does _everyone_ know about this?? "Please don't bring that up." he mumbles. Ren peeks around his body and ducks a bit to look at his face beneath his hair. 

"That bad? You look fine, though. Other than, y'know, the swollen cheek and bruised neck." he moves so that Jeonghan can continue forward but doesn't stop talking. "I've seen people leave his cell much worse off than you. He must like you."

Jeonghan scoffs loudly and incredulously at that. He looks back at Ren whose head is tilted in confusion and shakes his head. "Like is not the word I would use. He doesn't like me. I've been here two days and managed to piss him off both days. I very highly doubt he likes me. No, actually, I one _hundered_ percent know he doesn't like me."

Ren shrugs. "Eh," and he says nothing else until they get their cups of water and exit the line. "Wanna come sit with me?"

"I don't think d-S.Coups will let me." Jeonghan glances to where the six men are all watching him then at Ren. The blond is looking at him with pursed lips and before he can ask what the look is for, Ren blurts,

"You call him daddy." It's a statement and Jeonghan almost drops the trays of food.

His eye go comically wide and he hisses for Ren to _"Shut up! Why would you say that so loud??"_. He looks at the inmates sitting near and walking past them but no one seems to have heard. That, or they don't care. Ren just looks at him, unimpressed.

"Hannie, sweetheart," he says in a voice one might use when explaining something to a toddler, placing a hand on the brunet's shoulder. "This is prison. Not a school cafeteria. No one here is going to give you a weird look for calling someone daddy. If anything, they want you to call _them_ that. And I'm not dumb. I know you're not allowed to call him by his name because of your rank. You can address him as daddy in front of me. I'd encourage it, actually. The members of Seventeen have this ability to seemingly appear out of thin air and if they catch you calling him anything but your assigned name for him, they will tell him and you will be punished. Just a tip."

"Besides, everyone has their kinks and I'll gladly share one of mine if it'll make you feel any better." He offers casually and Jeonghan thinks he really might have a heart attack.

"I'm good." He says, shaking his head. "Can..can we stop talking about this?"

"Come on." Ren starts walking in the direction of Seventeen's table and Jeonghan hurries along. "Cheollie hyung has a soft spot for me so I'll ask if I can steal you or at the very least sit with you."

Ren does in fact end up sitting with the group, and while he's clearly comfortable and familiar with everyone at the table, he spends most of the dinner period talking to Jeonghan. Or, trying to, that is. Jeonghan replies to him in whispers and is tense and uneasy the entire time; his laughs are restrained and his hands have a constant slight tremor to them. The blond acts oblivious to it, determined to get Jeonghan to loosen up a little. He knows that Seungcheol is the cause of his anxiety but he also knows that Seungcheol is paying literally no attention to them.

"Hannie, what's your favorite color?" Ren asks and Jeonghan nibbles on his raw-looking bottom lip as he thinks.

"I don't have just one." he mumbles in response. 

"What are they?" Ren asks, sounding genuinely curious.

"Blue, black, brown and pink." Jeonghan answers and Ren gasps as if he's just been told the best gossip.

"Black is one of my favorite colors. Pink is my Nu'est color though."

Jeonghan raises his brow. "What's that?"

"The color that tells people I'm a member of Nu'est. We all have a specific color. I can't wear it now because they took our bandanas when we got here- dicks." Ren mutters the last part, rolling his eyes.

"And...other people recognized your group because of these colors?"

"Yep! Every gang has something that identifies them as such."

Jeonghan glances at the men around the circle table, wondering what their "something" is. But then he accidentally catches Seungcheol's eye and decides he'd rather not know. He looks down at his food. "C-cool," he mumbles. Ren continues to talk, not bothered by the fact that it has turned into a one sided conversation and Jeonghan is content with listening to his random rambling, feeling somewhat more comfortable with a friend next to him.

One of Seungcheol's hands is on his left thigh, placed there after he'd shifted for the umpteenth time, trying to relieve the pressure on his sore backside. He hadn't squeezed or pinched him but the warning was clear and Jeonghan suffers silently, having to resist squirming to try and find a more comfortable position.

Jeonghan's attention keeps getting drawn to it as well because his hand is just...so big on his leg. Jeonghan hasn't ever really paid mind to how small he kinda is because he's never had anyone make him _feel_ so small. Seungcheol isn't that much taller than him but everything about him is big. Even his hands. He feels the ghost of them around his neck where he knows there are dark finger shaped bruises and he turns his focus back to Ren who's now ranting about some drink that he didn't catch the name of. This is yet another thing he dreads he'll have to get used to.

**Unidentified location, 11:19pm**

Chan sets down the last box, straightening his spine with a groan as he wipes the sweat from his brow. He looks around the empty "living room" area. The space is barren aside from the several boxes of equipment scattered about that he just single-handedly unloaded because his hyungs are dicks and left the heavy lifting to him purposely. Someone slaps his back in passing and he stumbles a bit, scowling at the back of Jihoon's head. Said male shoots him a look over his shoulder and chuckles, pausing at the wall on Chan's left.

All of the walls are empty, covered in a soft cream colored paint. The only visible areas from where Chan stands are an open archway leading to a barren kitchen and a hallway next to the kitchen on his right. Jihoon presses his palm flat against the wall and a faint 'beep' sounds before part of the wall swings inward to reveal a hidden hallway.

"You're too young to be standing like you have back problems, Chan-ah," Jihoon teases and the younger man gestures aggressively to the box.

"I just hauled in seven of these heavy ass things, by myself. My back pain is justifiable." He objects. Jihoon glances at the box at Chan's feet, then the six other aforementioned boxes.

"Yeah, well, I need those boxes moved to storage. They're clogging up the walkway." is all he says before disappearing through the door, his obnoxious cackling making the hairs on the back of Chan's neck stand in irritation. He clenches his fists and takes several breaths through his nose to calm himself.

"They're clogging up the walkway," he mocks beneath his breath as he squats down and picks the box back up with a grunt. He heads to the second, visible hallway and sets the box down momentarily to open the first door. He's tempted to kick the box inside but knows that Jihoon will have his head if something breaks. So, he lifts the box again and places it carefully inside the room then goes to collect the other ones.

"How many rooms are in this place again?"

"Twenty," Jihoon answers absentmindedly as he goes about unboxing one of many boxes labeled meeting room. Seokmin whistles lowly, looking around the large, vacant space. He's standing in the doorframe, hands on his hips as his head swivels.

"This makes our current meeting room seem tiny."

"Yep, that's kinda the point. Are you gonna help me or are you gonna keep standing there looking stupid?" Jihoon snaps, sitting back on his haunches. Seokmin raises his hands in surrender and ambles into the room. "I'm starting to think I'm gonna have to come with you and Seungkwan on Thursday to make sure you idiots do your job instead trying to explore everything."

"What if we get our work done _while_ exploring?" he looks away when another glare is turned on him. "Ok, ok."

"We're trying to be efficient," Jihoon reminds Seokmin, resuming his task. "The quicker-"

"-we can get set up, the smoother things will run - _yes,_ hyung, I _get it._ " Seokmin groans, throwing his head back dramatically. "We've also been working literally non-stop. Everyone is eager to explore, even Jisoo hyung! I'm sure taking one day won't delay us much if at all."

Jihoon sighs and sits back again. He runs his fingers through his black hair and makes a mental note to cut it later on, his bangs are falling into his eyes and it's only a matter of time before he gets sick of it. He shifts around to face Seokmin who's sulkily cutting open one of the smaller boxes, bottom lip jutting in a pout.

"After we get everything moved and in order, I'll allow you guys a day to explore." Jihoon says, watching the way his younger member's face lights up instantly. "But that's only if we stay on schedule. There's a lot to get done, Seokmin, and we're already at a disadvantage cause we're missing half our tech team. We're also having to work in shifts so I need you to focus and help me right now, ok?"

Seokmin nods quickly and gets to work.

** Lights Out 10:00pm - Mingyu and Wonu **

"Mingyu-yah," the words are whispered as soon as the cells and corridor are cast into darkness and Mingyu looks up from the book he's reading with the aid of one of Wonu's rigged flashlights. The device is easily hidden and has several brightness levels that can be changed with the click of a button. Mingyu has no idea how Wonu built it or the mechanics behind it, but he's never bothered asking - he wouldn't understand no matter how much explaining Wonu did.

"Yes?"

Wonu doesn't say anything else but Mingyu knows he's awake. He slides out of the bottom bunk and stands, crossing his arms on the side of the top bunk and resting his chin on them. He flashes the dim light in Wonu's face and receives a glare, Wonu's hand coming to swat it away.

"What is it, babe?" Mingyu whispers. Wonu huffs but still doesn't say anything else. Mingyu waits, knows there's something on his lover's mind and that prodding won't make him share it any faster. So he waits and eventually -

"Has Cheol's bitch made a move on you?"

Mingyu can't help the snort that comes as a response to the question. He hisses when Wonu's hand shoots out to flick him in the forehead, the cat eyed man not amused in the least. Rubbing at the spot, Mingyu retorts, "What kind of question is that?"

"A valid one. I saw how he looked at you earlier."

Mingyu scoffs and he catches Wonu's hand before he can flick him again. He kisses each finger and intertwines their hands. "No, he hasn't." he answers slowly. "And he won't. I don't know what you think you saw, but he's terrified of me. And if he wanted to make a move, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have told me to turn around when he was stripping to shower."

It's Wonu's turn to snort. "He knows that several men are gonna see his bare ass sooner or later, right? No point in asking anyone to look away."

"Exactly," Mingyu chuckles.

He leans forward to find his boyfriend's lips in the dark. They find each other easily in the weak moonlight, having done this plenty a time. Mingyu cups Wonu's cheek with his other hand as their lips slot together. The older male hums as Mingyu nips at his bottom lip. They separate after a bit, panting lightly into each other's mouths. "He's not a threat, babe. You don't need to keep death staring the poor kid every time we're in the same room."

"He was never a threat," Wonu whispers back, gliding his free hand up what he can reach of Mingyu's chest toward the back of his neck where his fingers play with the short hairs there. "if I had felt threatened, he'd already be dead." 

Mingyu smirks and kisses him again, speaking against his lips. "I know. You're sexy when you're jealous, you know that?" 

Wonu bites his lip in retaliation to the light teasing. "I'm not jealous." he grabs Mingyu's hair with his free hand, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. "I'm possessive. And you're mine."

The kiss turns messy as their tongues meet, Mingyu's hand that'd been cradling Wonu's cheek now holding him in place as he licks into his mouth. They fall into their natural game of push and pull, a brief yet unnecessary fight for dominance meant only to humor the cat eyed man because the result is always the same. Mingyu pulls away once he's re-explored every inch of his lover's mouth, their breaths heavier than before and a line of spit connecting their lips. Wonu licks his kiss swollen lips to break it.

"And you," Mingyu pants, hand sliding down Wonu's cheek to his neck, thumbing lightly at his erratic pulse point. He applies the lightest bit of pressure and Wonu's breath stutters. "Are mine." 


	3. First Time for Everything-Sunday, August 6 4:37pm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like it should be known that I literally don't know what's going to happen in each chapter until I write it.
> 
> Ignore mistakes. This will be edited at a later date when I get the energy to read through it again. Be gentle with me, I am the only person writing, proofreading and editing.

"Yoon Jeonghan?"

Jeonghan tenses as every eye in the room is turned to him. Ren gently nudges his arm and he blinks owlishly at the blond who nods at the doorway to the rec room. He gulps and stands, making his way to the guard standing there. Everyone's eyes follow him and he can feel his cheeks reddening, hot with embarrassment. The guard gives him a once over when he reaches him.

"Yoon Jeonghan?" He repeats. Jeonghan nods hesitantly. "Follow me. You have visitors." His confusion must show because the guard sighs impatiently and grabs his arm, tugging him out into the hallway. "People are here to see you."

The guards' obvious sarcasm and the way condescension drips heavily from his words rubs Jeonghan the wrong way and he pulls away from him. "I can walk myself, thank you." he grumbles. "And I know what visitors are. I'm not stupid." the guard snorts and Jeonghan cocks a brow, pausing in the middle of the hall which forces the other to stop in turn. "Why did that make you laugh?"

"Oh, no reason," he's given a once over and his skin crawls, prickling as he becomes agitated. The guard looks down his nose at the brunet. "Other than the fact that you clearly _are_ to have wound up in prison. What'd you do anyway? Prostitute?"

"Are you kidding?" Jeonghan's eyes narrow, jaw clenching, and the guard laughs, the unpleasant sound echoing around them. That's when Jeonghan realizes - this is the same jerk that took him to his cell his first day. From what Jeonghan could gather of the few minutes he had to spend following this man on his brief "tour" of the prison, he was an asshole. And he loved antagonizing the prisoners. He seemed to make it a mission to piss off everyone he passed while leading Jeonghan to his designated cell.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? Did I hurt your feelings? Would you prefer if I said escort?" the guard guffaws as Jeonghan's cheeks flush with anger.

"I was not and am not a prostitute so you should watch your fucking mouth." Jeonghan contests. The guard's smile drops.

"Don't tell me what to do, bitch. You should be the one watching your fucking mouth - I can have you thrown in solitary confinement for disrespecting a guard." he growls, storming forward to jab a finger in Jeonghan's chest. "I am your superior. You are nothing more than prison scum. A moron who can't follow the law."

By this point, a small crowd has begun to form - prisoners peeking out of the rec and gym rooms to watch the confrontation. Jeonghan can see the men from the gym watching and can feel eyes on the back of his head and he decides, _Fuck it. I'm not backing down._ He knocks away the guard's hand, speaks through clenched teeth so that no one else can hear.

"I have never broken a law in my life nor have I ever sold my body and I will not let some high and mighty _prick_ who knows nothing about me label me as scum. I was _wronged_ by pretentious jackasses just like you who abused their power just because they could." he leans closer as he hisses the words, jabbing his own finger into the guard's chest and raising his voice with his next line. "You are nothing more than a low life, pitiful piece of shit who has nothing better to do than harass people for no reason."

The guard grabs him tightly by the collar and Jeonghan's back comes into contact with the corridor wall. He knows the action is intended to intimidate him - is to be seen as a power move, an example of the strength this man has over him - but it only angers him further. One person treating him like a ragdoll is more than enough and he's not letting anyone else think for even a second they can throw him around without a fight.

"Let me go." Jeonghan says slowly. He's trembling from head to toe and his voice is uneven which leads to his fury being mistaken for fear.

"Or what?" the guard sneers, pressing him harder against the wall. "You gonna cry? Like a little bitch?"

Jeonghan spits in his face. It's a surprise to both of them. The hand fisting his shirt digs into his neck and the guard slowly reaches up to wipe the spit away. He looks at his fingers, then at Jeonghan, and raises his hand to slap the brunet when-

"That's one of Coups' you got there." Ren says, coming out of the rec room, arms crossed and brow cocked. "I'm sure he won't be too happy to hear about you harassing his property when you're supposed to be taking him to the visitor room."

For a few tense moments, Jeonghan and the guard continue to glare daggers at each other. To his surprise, again, the guard doesn't slap him. Instead, he releases Jeonghan's shirt and backs away but not without shoving the smaller into the wall again. Another guard - Park Chanyeol, his uniform shirt reads- appears, belatedly exiting the gym and pushing his way past the several prisoners crowding the corridor and telling the first guard he'll take over. The man is stomping off before he's even done talking, aggressively shouldering past everyone in his way. Jeonghan releases a mental sigh of relief as the second guard instructs him to follow and the hallway begins to clear. The inmates all look amused, some are chuckling beneath their breath, and one man slaps Jeonghan on the back as he passes.

"Princess has got some bite."

Jeonghan ignores the statement as others laugh and is grateful when he and the guard pass through the double doors and enter the empty cafeteria. The guard, Chanyeol, slows down once they pass through the set of doors on the left to walk next to the brunet. "You good?" he asks softly. Jeonghan isn't expecting this and he squints, skeptical.

"I'm...fine, I guess." he responds. "Why?"

"Minki said you're one of Cheol's?"

Jeonghan peers at his tattoo, a new habit of his, and Chanyeol's eyes follow. He hums, head bobbing in a nod.

"So you're the new one Hao told me about. Been here almost a full week and I'm just now getting to meet you. At first I thought you were a new recruitment - which in hindsight doesn't make sense cause he would've told me sooner and it would probably throw a bit of a wrench in things and would've made my job harder - but that tattoo means otherwise so-"

"What do you mean 'would throw a wrench in things'?" Jeonghan cuts him off mid-ramble, baffled. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

Chanyeol frowns for a second, as if confused by Jeonghan being confused, then shakes his head, offering him a friendly smile instead. He stops outside of a room that has a sign labelled **Visitor Room 4** nailed into the wall beside it. "This is your room. You have thirty minutes to talk." he opens the door and motions for Jeonghan to enter. The brunet's attention is drawn away from his odd behavior as soon as his eyes land on the people sitting on the other side of a glass divider. 

"Mom, dad." he breathes as he takes a seat in the wooden chair. His dad is smiling, a mix of gentle and sad, but his mother's expression is unreadable as per usual. She looks neither happy or upset to see him and only gives a slight nod in acknowledgement. Jeonghan's heart thumps with anxious joy and he's not sure if he wants to smile or cry. "Why are...I miss you."

"My son," Mr. Yoon sighs and Jeonghan thinks he might cry at the pained look that twists his father's gently wrinkled face into one of concern. One hand lifts toward the glass before pausing as he remembers that they're separated. "What have they done to my son? Your cheek...your neck...what have they done to you?"

Admittedly, Jeonghan had forgotten about the bruises. The ones around his neck are still prominent though they were fading, the color having shifted from blue and dark purple to a nasty pale green. His cheek that'd been shoved into the concrete - and slapped several times- is no longer swollen but the area is noticeably discolored. His hand instinctively flies up to cover his neck and he can't look his father in the eye. His face flames, shame filling his chest and - he can't tell him. He won't. Jeonghan would rather die than see the heartbreak in his father's eyes when he learns his son has become someone's bitch.

"I...uh," he starts, trying in vain to conjure up a believable lie. He settles on a weak and nonreassuring, "I'm ok, dad. I know it doesn't look like it, but I am."

"You're right, it doesn't. Did you get into a fight?"

"You could say that. It was more self-defense." Jeonghan shrugs. It's not a complete lie but it still leaves a sour taste in his mouth. He changes the topic. "Are you guys ok?"

"I told you that man couldn't be trusted." his mother says. Her tone is neutral, her expression still unreadable, but Jeonghan can feel her scorn. He feels like a scolded toddler.

"I know, mom. You've told me a thousand times-"

"And yet-"

"I didn't listen, yes. I know." Jeonghan sighs, deflating. "I know that I was foolish. I know that he was no good. I _know._ So, please...please stop telling me. I know." he's glaring down at the tattooed wrist hidden in his lap and there's a vast mixture of emotions swirling about in his chest but when he looks at his parents, his heart squeezes and grief overtakes everything else. He wants to cry to them, hug them and hide in them and wake up from this nightmare. If only this were just a nightmare. When he speaks again, his voice wavers and is filled with cracks that he doesn't bother trying to hide. "Can't...can't you just say you miss me and leave it at that? Can't you just say it breaks your heart to see your son in prison? I need a mother. I need you to comfort me, not reprimand me."

Mrs. Yoon stares back and her own shoulder's droop as she finally shows a shred of emotion. "Of course I miss you, Jeonghan. It does break my heart to see my only son wrongfully imprisoned. You don't belong in that uniform." her voice breaks and she turns her head to wipe at her reddening eyes. "If...if you'd only _listened_ to me, though, Jeonghan. You didn't listen to me!"

His mother starts to cry and it makes his heartache worse because he can't hug her like his father is doing. He bows his head repeatedly as his eyes prickle. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry mom. Dad." he cries. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this and that I didn't listen."

"Han," his father's voice is firm but gentle. He can't bear to meet his eye but Mr. Yoon repeats his name until he does. He's no better off crying wise but he's smiling at Jeonghan, gentle as always. Lovingly as always. And it only makes the brunet cry harder. "We love you, no matter what. We don't see you any differently. And if...if you stay out of trouble, you'll be let out sooner, right? It's not the best solution but it's all we've got, Han. Stay strong for us."

The door creaks open and a different guard steps inside. "Time's up."

"Jeonghan," his mother calls as he stands. Jeonghan pauses, looking over his shoulder at her. "I love you, my son." 

"I love you too...both of you." he sniffs, attempting to give them a reassuring smile. His chin is quivering, and he looks more pained than reassuring but they smile their own watery smiles and he's escorted out of the visitor's room.

Jeonghan wipes at his face as he enters the corridor, thankful that the guard is ignoring him. He tries to pull himself together before they reach the cafeteria, taking a few deep breaths. The guard pauses at the door and faces him. "You better get it together and quick too. There’s a couple guys in here and these boys don’t take too kindly to criers.” he warns. They stay there for a couple minutes until Jeonghan’s breathing evens out and the redness leaves his face and eyes. The guard opens the door and Jeonghan sees the men he’d been warned about.

There are three of them, one sitting atop a table in the middle of the cafeteria, another on the bench next to him, and the third standing in front of them. The standing person is tall and broad-shouldered, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to show off muscular arms, hands shoved inside his pant pockets. His back is to Jeonghan and he’s almost completely blocking the other men from his sight. Jeonghan feels a stir of anxiety and makes his way to the wall of the right staircase, filled with a sudden urge to put as much distance between them and himself as possible and fast. He, inevitably, enters their line of vision, the man sitting on the table taking notice of him first.

All three men look at him and Jeonghan freezes in place for a split second when he sees that they all have a slit in their left brow. His heart stutters then speeds up and he feels like a deer in headlights as Ren’s warning rings through his mind. _“If you’re alone and you see red or an eyebrow slit, get the hell out of there.”_

_They’re in Nct._

The man on the table is casually leaning back on his hands, watching Jeonghan with innocently round eyes. He has a strong jawline and everything about him is...small. His arms are skinny but corded with tight muscle and the uniform, while it’s obviously one of the smallest sizes, still looks too big on him. His hair is dyed a white, almost silver looking color that vaguely makes Jeonghan think of jack frost. The man on the bench has a face that’s somehow a mixture of sharp and soft. His jaw looks to be clenched, dark brows sitting low over his dark eyes. His hair is black and he has an undercut, the longer strands styled messily atop his head. Jeonghan finds the standing man to be the most intimidating solely because he can tell even from a distance that he has a good few inches over him nevermind his muscles. His brown hair is cut in a way that one side is longer than the other resulting in one of his narrowed eyes being covered.

Jeonghan’s body kicks back into gear the moment the standing guy shifts and he all but runs to the stairs, taking them two at a time as he flees. He nearly collides with Minghao when he reaches the landing and the other man catches his arm as he stumbles back in surprise. Minghao gives him a quizzical look but opts not to question him and simply nods at his and Seungcheol’s cell instead.

“He wants to talk with you.”

Dread joins his anxiety and Jeonghan wonders what he’s done this time to piss the gang leader off. Bracing himself, he slinks toward the cell, peering in through the bars. He’s alone, reclining in the desk chair and tossing a small ball into the air with one hand, catching it with the other. Seungcheol spots him and sets the ball down on the desk, crooking a finger. Jeonghan enters, arms curling around himself as he comes fully into the man’s line of vision. He looks anywhere but at Seungcheol, shuffling from foot to foot as he awaits punishment or whatever it is Seungcheol wanted to see him for. As per usual, Seungcheol doesn’t speak immediately. He takes his time to scan Jeonghan head to toe as if it’s his first time seeing him before he leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees, and speaks.

“So, Wonu has informed me of your little standoff with Min-jackass. Gotta say, I didn’t think you had it in you.” Seungcheol says with the slightest of chuckles. His lip quirks into a smirk when Jeonghan blinks at him, amusement seeping into his features. “Who woulda thought my delicate little Angel would spit in the face of a prison guard. Better yet, the guard I personally can’t fucking stand? Damn, do I wish I coulda seen the look on that fucker’s face when you did it. Serves his punk ass right.”

Jeonghan, though relieved, has several questions with the main one being - how did Wonu know about his confrontation? As far as he knew, none of Coups’ men had been in that area. _“The members of Seventeen have this ability to seemingly appear out of thin air.”_ Jeonghan resists the urge to look over his shoulder. Maybe he’d overheard someone talking about it. Prison gossip is a thing right?

“Come here.” Seungcheol murmurs, breaking his train of thought. Jeonghan’s legs move before his distracted brain registers the request. He goes to kneel once he’s directly in front of the gangster but is drawn onto Seungcheol’s lap instead. His breath catches as he’s perched on one knee, Seungcheol’s right arm wrapped securely around his waist to keep him there. This feels much too similar to his first day - which suddenly seems so long ago though it’s not even been a full week yet. “Your little stunt has put me in a good mood, Angel. And you’ve been good these past few days with your training and lessons.”

Jeonghan refrains from telling him that he’s only been “good” out of fear of receiving another humiliating punishment. He also refrains from informing him that his “little stunt” had been the result of pent up resentment toward _him._ After his second day, a schedule had been developed - he would exercise with Mingyu every other morning and then have self-defense training in the afternoon with Soonyoung on the days he wasn’t working out. He’d been told it was for the sake of efficiency, Seungcheol’s exact words being, “It would be a waste of Hoshi’s time to teach you when your pitiful ass is still tired from a simple morning workout.” Mingyu had made an off-handed comment about it, muttering something about Seungcheol being soft. A statement Jeonghan knew to be utter bullshit because a soft person wouldn’t choke him on their cock every night - something that was becoming routine with Seungcheol.

"I've decided that I'm feeling nice today," Seungcheol hums and Jeonghan resists an eyeroll because as much of a lie as that is, he's not intent on digging his own grave. Instead, he gazes cautiously at the man, purposefully widening his eyes and looking through his lashes to appear docile, innocent. "Ren has been asking over and over if you can sit with him and the rest of Nu'est for a meal so I'm allowing you to do so tonight. The least I can do is allow you to get acquainted with our allies."

Jeonghan's brows shoot up, disbelief written clear on his face. He's equal parts delighted and relieved - sitting with a friend that simultaneously allows him to be away from Seungcheol? Yes please. - but finds himself asking, "B-but I have to get your tray?". The words are out of his mouth before he even thinks and he hates the smugness in Seungcheol's eyes.

"Minghao will handle that. Now, what do you say?"

Knowing there's no point in refusing or trying to avoid answering, Jeonghan shifts his eyes to the floor and mumbles a shy, "Thank you, daddy."

"Ren, slow down - you're gonna make me drop my tray!" Jeonghan cries as he practically stumbles behind the excited blond who's tugging him along with a hand on his thin wrist. For how delicate he looks, Ren is surprisingly much stronger than Jeonghan thought. They reach a table that's on the opposite end of the cafeteria from Seventeen and Jeonghan wrenches away from his friend's death grip, sending Ren a half-hearted glare when he smiles cheekily.

There are four men sitting at this table and they all greet Jeonghan with friendly smiles. Ren slides in next to who Jeonghan assumes is JR - an easy assumption to make considering the arm that snakes around his friend’s slim waist. The black haired man on the second bench scoots over so he can sit next to Ren and Jeonghan bows his head in thanks. Ren does a quick introduction of his team. The one he’s right next to is called Baekho, Minhyun’s hair sits fluffily atop his head and he has the gentlest features making Jeonghan wonder once again how they could be _cold blooded killers._ The third person is named Aron and Ren tells him that he’s actually from America which brings its own set of questions to mind.

“Last but not least,” Ren’s voice sweetens as he leans into JR, staring lovingly up at him. “This is our leader, JR, aka the love of my life.”

Baekho makes a mock gagging sound and Jeonghan stifles a giggle as Ren glares at his fellow gang member. Baekho nudges Jeonghan and he turns to him. He mimes throwing up, eyes rolling, and Jeonghan giggles again, hand coming up to cover his mouth. Ren whines at him - “You’re _my_ friend, Hannie, don’t laugh at him!” - and it only has him laughing harder.

Unexpectedly, Jeonghan warms up to the four men quickly. They’re nowhere near as hostile as the members of Seventeen and the brunet doesn’t see how they’re all supposedly friends. He forgets very easily that he is in fact conversing with gangsters, falls into an easy banter with Baekho and Ren. Aron and Minhyun aren’t as talkative but they do join in, throwing in a terrible joke or snarky comment every so often. JR is mostly silent and Jeonghan takes him to be the observant type. Despite his silence, there’s a constant small smile on his lips. Jeonghan hasn’t felt this at ease in ages and for the next hour and a half, he’s not in a prison full of criminals, but he’s hanging out with friends and smiling so hard his cheeks hurt - he hasn’t laughed this much in years.

His smile drops the second the bell rings shrilly through the air to signify the end of dinner and he’s forced back to reality. Ren sees his shift in mood as they get up to put their trays away. He touches the brunet’s arm, leaning in to whisper to him.

“Don’t look so down, Hannie. I know exactly what your mind went to, but there’s still reason to smile. I think this dinner period has proven as much, huh? Things’ll get better.”

Jeonghan knows he’s trying to be reassuring so he manages a tight lipped smile in spite of the doubt twisting nastily in his gut alongside his dread of having to go back to Seungcheol.

**Tuesday, August 8** **Call Booth 7 - 5:58pm, Vernon**

“Vernonie?”

“Hi, my sulky baby.” Vernon chuckles as his teasing words recieve a pouty whine. He adjusts the corded phone on his ear, humming into the receiver. “Soonyoung hyung told me you’re still sulking. It’s been eight months since we were thrown in here, how can you still be upset Kwan-ah?”

“Why wouldn’t I still be upset? We haven’t ever been separated for this long. I haven’t slept alone in years and I have no choice but to now.” Seungkwan bemoans and Vernon can hear his pout. His voice bounces a bit as he complains and Vernon is sure he’s stomping his feet like a petulant child.

“We’re not the only separated couple, baby, but I’m sure Jihoon hyung and Jun hyung aren’t whining and holding grudges against Cheol hyung.” he murmurs lightly.

“Jihoon hyung is ten times as passive aggressive and Jun hyung is ready to square up at any second. Seokmin hyung pretended to steal his toast and he was on the ground with a butter knife to his neck before any of us knew what was going on.” Seungkwan scoffs, his eyeroll nearly audible. “We’re all sulking in our own ways, Nonie.”

Vernon sighs, shaking his head to himself. “I’m sorry, baby. But...don’t you think you could put off your anger toward Cheol hyung for at least today? It is his birthday after all and I’m sure he’d appreciate a Happy Birthday from one of his dearest maknae’s.”

“You say that as if he acknowledges his own birthday.”

“But you do. Every year you say it.”

There’s a few clicks of silence and Vernon knows Seungkwan is just being stubborn because surely enough, he says, “Tell him I said happy birthday.” Then, because he can’t help but be a brat, Seungkwan tacks on, “He’s officially an old man. And you can tell him I said that.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be very hurt.” Vernon laughs, smile broadening when Seungkwan finally releases a tiny giggle on the other end. It’s soft yet loud and clear to his trained ear. “It’s been too long since I’ve heard you laugh.” he says fondly.

“Ah, yes, it has been far too long since I’ve graced your ears with my witty jokes and angelic laugh,” Seungkwan replies haughtily, playfully smug, and Vernon plays along.

“Yes, Diva, you do have an angelic laugh. The jokes on the other hand….eh, I think prison is a welcomed break from them.” he teases, bursting into laughter at his boyfriend’s enraged cry.

“Yah! You wanna die? My jokes are the best!” he shouts, forcing Vernon to remove the phone from his ear lest he go deaf. He’s laughing too hard to respond and it only makes Seungkwan more indignant and whiny. “Stop laughing you jerk! I’ll really kill you! I mean it,Chwe Hansol! Aish, I’m breaking up with you. All I’ve ever done is miss you and this is the response I get? Aish.”

“Aw, don’t be like that.” Vernon coos. “I’m only messing with you babe. If you’re gonna break up with me at least wait til we’re face to face.”

“You’re an idiot. When we’re face to face, the only thing I’m gonna do is kiss you to make up for all this time apart.”

“Just a little longer, sweetheart. You never know, they might let us out early for good behavior.”

Seungkwan snorts. “Yeah. Sure. As if any of your tempers can be controlled well enough especially with those Nct bastards in there with you.”

“Ah~ you know us too well.”

“I would hope so, I’ve spent most of my teenage life surrounded by you idiots.”

“In that case, wouldn’t that make you an idiot as well?”

“Yah!”

**Evening leisure - 6:09pm, Seungcheol**

“-and he said happy birthday, old man.”

Seungcheol scoffs, lip twitching into a smirk, gone as soon as it came. “If 25 is old, he’s gonna have a rude awakening in less than two years.” he mutters and Vernon shrugs.

“Least he said it.”

“Every year.” Seungcheol agrees with a nod. “As if I ever plan on celebrating.”

“I’m sure he won’t stop til you have even a semblance of a birthday party.” Wonu comments, not looking up from where he’s fiddling with another one of his rigged devices at the desk.

The gang leader huffs, falling to lay on his back on the bottom bunk. He stares at the bottom of the concrete bed above him, twirling a pen round and round his fingers. “Yeah, well, he’ll be saying it till the day I die.”

**Lights Out - 10:17pm, Jeonghan and Seungcheol**

“D-daddy?” The word is whispered with nervous hesitance, Jeonghan silently hoping he won’t get in trouble for speaking without permission. The question had been on his mind all day, though, and if he doesn’t ask now, he doubts he’ll ever be given a chance to. Seungcheol pauses, bare back still to the brunet who gulps anxiously. He mentally repeats a mantra of _don’t be mad, don’t be mad, don’t be mad,_ nerves beginning to swirl in his stomach. He fidgets on the hard surface of his bed, gnawing on his bottom lip.

“What?” Seungcheol’s gruff voice is toneless and does nothing to lessen his anxiety. The man’s impetuous personality has him on constant edge with the way he can flip at the slightest provocation. Jeonghan is tempted not to respond; thinks that his question isn’t really that important or in need of an answer. He’s already stressed and they’ve only said one word each. Just as he’s debating squeaking out a ‘nevermind’ and hiding beneath his blanket, Seungcheol faces him. The pale, staggered moonlight casts his features in shadows and Jeonghan stifles a whimper, shrinking. “Are you deaf? I’m an impatient man, Angel, so I suggest you ask whatever it is you want to ask. You might as well considering you already spoke without being spoken to.”

“I just...I was just won-wondering…”

“Speak up.”

Jeonghan flinches, swallowing and starting again. “Ren...he-he told me that you...your birthday is today?” he peeks at the standing male who gives no form of confirmation. “Um, why don’t…” he stops, face heating up as he realizes how stupid his next question is going to sound. But one glance at Seungcheol lets him know he can’t back out of it now. “Why don’t you celebrate your birthday? He told me you don’t celebrate.”

Seungcheol sighs and leans against the edge of the desk, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. “I’m not gonna bother saying how stupid of a question that is because I can tell you already knew,” he starts and Jeonghan allows his hair to fall over his darkening face. “I don’t have a reason to celebrate. Never have. It’s a waste of time and money I can spend on actually useful, important things. Also, if you haven’t noticed yet, I’m in prison. Even if I did acknowledge my birthday, there’s not exactly a way to ‘celebrate’."

His reply is full of far less sarcasm and insults than Jeonghan is expecting. “Have you never celebrated it?”

“Someone’s gotten a little too bold. I let the first one slide but you seem to think this is a free pass.” Seungcheol pushes away from the desk and is in front of him in two long strides. His figure is barely visible in the pitch darkness and Jeonghan’s anxiety spikes. He cowers further, hands forming a protective ‘x’ over his neck and chest, chin tucked to them. He flinches violently, eyes squeezing shut, when fingers card through his hair and he awaits a burn in his scalp but it doesn’t come. Instead, he feels Seungcheol’s breath on his face as the man bends to his level. “This is your only warning, Angel. I suggest you be careful. About when you speak and the questions you ask.”

Then his breath and touch are gone as he climbs on the top bunk. Jeonghan releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in a shaky exhale and it takes a few minutes for him to stop trembling enough to move into a lying position, curling into a ball beneath his blanket.

**Wednesday, August 9** **Morning leisure - 9:20am, Jeonghan and Mingyu**

“Why doesn’t he celebrate his birthday?”

Mingyu pauses halfway through a sit-up to give Jeonghan a puzzled look. The brunet is sitting with his elbows on his knees, not even bothering to pretend he’s doing the exercise. He stares back expectantly and Mingyu plants his hands on the floor behind him, leaning back. “What?”

“Your boss. Why doesn’t he celebrate his birthday?” Jeonghan repeats with a tilt of his head. His hair, which is currently in a ponytail thanks to a hair tie from Ren, sways with the movement.

“Why not ask him?” Mingyu snorts as his jest earns a glare. “But really, why do you care?”

“Because-” Jeonghan cuts himself off. He doesn’t have an answer. He doesn’t know why he wants to know this other than the fact that he just does. “I dunno. Birthdays are somewhat of a big deal in my family so it’s odd to see someone who couldn’t care less about their own.” he explains after a minute, shrugging. “I’m curious.”

Mingyu studies him - something all the Svt members did often that he was gradually (and annoyingly) starting to get used to - before he says anything. “I’m sure you’ve figured this out already, but Seungcheol hyung, as well as the rest of our team, is a private person. You don’t know anything about him unless he tells you or someone close to him tells you. Speaking of which, this stays between us cause I doubt he’ll take kindly to me telling you.”

“Literally who would I even tell? The only other person I talk to who probably already knows whatever you’re about to tell me?” Jeonghan retorts, rolling his eyes.

“Alright, you sarcastic asshole.” he mutters something else beneath his breath that Jeonghan doesn’t catch. “Cheol hyung has never celebrated his birthday. For as long as he could remember, he’s never had a party or gifts - nothing. The most his parents would do is tell him how old he was that year until he turned old enough to remember for himself.”

Jeonghan frowns. “They don’t sound like very good parents.” Mingyu’s expression darkens, mouth twisting into a scowl.

“They weren’t. Cheol was an accidental pregnancy and they made sure to remind him. Constantly. His parents are co-owners of a clothing company and stupid rich. They took vacations all the time, leaving him to fend for himself since he was six.” he spits the words out as if they leave a foul taste in his mouth. “They kept him a secret. To this day, no one knows his parents have a child. They never enrolled him in school or took him anywhere with them and then the fucker’s had the audacity to kick him out when he turned 16.”

Jeonghan is taken back by the information. He didn’t know what kind of answer he had expected but this was certainly much worse than he’d anticipated. There’s a rush of sentiment in his heart - no one deserves to live that kind of childhood - and he feels bad for the gang leader. It doesn’t last very long, his brain supplying him with several reasons he shouldn’t have sympathy toward the cruel man, and he ends up conflicted. As much as he hates him, he can’t help but also view him a bit differently now that he knows some of his past.

“So that’s why he’s such an asshole.” is what comes out of his mouth after several long seconds of semi-silence. Mingyu sighs.

“I’m not gonna defend him or tell you you’re right. But just like we don’t know anything about you, you don’t know anything about us. So be careful about the conclusions you jump to. That’s enough talk, we’ve done 22 sit-ups and our goal is 50. Let’s go.”

**Unidentified location, 9:00pm**

“And we are up and...running.” Jisoo declares as the wall of monitors comes to life, each screen showing the location of a different camera. He and Jihoon examine each screen, the latter’s arms crossed tightly over his chest. “The kids did pretty good with placement.” he praises quietly, eyes flitting through every view.

The cams have 360 capabilities that most placements take advantage of, capturing every street corner and alleyway in their vicinity, eliminating all potential blind spots. They’re the size of a nickel, record in Full HD and color, and can zoom up to 100x without a loss of quality. There are thirty monitors, one for each camera, and they take up the entire back wall of the main meeting room. It’s their ideal setup and Jisoo gets a flash of giddiness as he takes it all in. It took them months of planning and tracking to get their hands on these things and they could finally put them to use.

“I would hope so.” Jihoon quips. “Otherwise Wonu and Minghao’s mentoring would’ve been a waste.” he sighs, one hand coming up to rub at his eyes. They’re aching, a sign of a budding headache, and he shakes his head to clear it. He hasn’t slept in 36 hours and it’s starting to catch up to him. He checks his watch. “We don’t have time to admire their handiwork, there are still several rooms that need to be unpacked and set up.”

“This place is a maze!” Seungkwan exclaims upon bursting into the second meeting room. The current occupants don’t even spare him a glance, busy putting together a long table. Seungkwan huffs, stomping over to stand above where Jihoon is kneeling, drilling neat little holes into the bottom of the table corner. “Where’s that layout map you drew, hyung? I got lost almost five times trying to get here.”

“ _Almost_ five times?” Chan queries from the table’s opposite end. Seungkwan ignores him.

“Didn’t I already give you a map? You and Seokmin got one last week when you came to install the cams.” Jihoon gripes. “How come you never keep up with anything I give you? I don’t have the time or patience to keep drawing maps only for you to lose them again and again.”

“I misplaced it!” Seungkwan says defensively. “I’m not always losing things!”

“Don’t even try to tell that lie, I have a long list of things that you’ve lost or “misplaced” and I will go down it.” Jihoon threatens, brandishing his drill like a weapon. Seungkwan takes a step back.

“Hyung, just take mine before you get stabbed with an electric drill.” Chan offers, holding the neatly folded paper out to the ravenhead. Seungkwan scampers over, snatches it, and escapes into the hallway. 

**Saturday, August 12** **Evening roll call - 9:35pm, Jeonghan**

Jeonghan is conflicted. He has mixed feelings about Seungcheol. Despite him being a complete and utter asshole, he truly is a man of his word. And he’s proven it more times that Jeonghan has cared to admit. He’s aggressive and mean and still terrifies Jeonghan to his core but he didn’t lie about his protection. There have been quite a few instances where the word on the inside of Jeonghan’s wrist has warded off unwanted attention from horny idiots who got a little too close when he roamed the facility alone. But there was also a day where Seungcheol himself chased off one of the bolder inmates.

The previous day, Friday, is when the incident had taken place. It happened during breakfast while Jeonghan was standing in line. He’d gotten somewhat comfortable being in line alone knowing that as long as people saw his tattoo, they wouldn’t mess with him. At least, that’s how it’d been for the almost two weeks he’d been there. He keeps his right sleeve rolled up so that it’s always visible and it usually only takes a glance for people to change their mind about harassing him. With that knowledge, he started letting his guard down, no longer on constant alert about every little movement around him.

That morning, the guy behind him was very touchy. Jeonghan had dismissed the first brush of a hand against his ass as an accident - they were standing closely after all - and simply scooted forward in line to put more distance between himself and whoever was behind him. But seconds later, the touch returned, only much more intentional this time. Jeonghan had squeaked in surprise, twisting his lower body away. The hand followed and grabbed his ass hard. Another hand joined and before he could get away, a body pressed flush against his back. 

“I see you’re Coups’ new bitch.” a rough voice had grunted into his ear as large hands groped him. “Such a pretty little thing you are. Pretty little thing with a tight little ass. He ain’t even fucked you yet, has he?”

A whole new type of fear washed over Jeonghan as he felt something hard poke against his lower back. No one in the line said or did anything to stop the man, some of the prisoners even stepped around them to cut the line. Jeonghan, mortified, couldn’t make a sound. He felt frozen in place as the man continued to whisper filth into his ear, one hand snaking around to the front of his pants. Fingers trailed over his drawstrings and grazed his stomach that was roiling with trepidation. He mentally begged for someone, _anyone_ to get this guy away from him and his prayers were answered not even a minute later.

There was a grunt as the body and hard-on pressing into him vanished, followed by what felt like the equivalent of a record scratch scene where the entire world froze for a second. Jeonghan had spun around to see that Seungcheol had the offender by the crotch, his face a mask of pure rage that for once wasn’t directed at Jeonghan. His hand gripped the man’s obvious erection like a vice, the pain of it making him knock-kneed. He sputtered curses that turned into desperately pained cries as Seungcheol’s fingers twisted and pulled upward, bringing him onto his toes.

Jeonghan’s eyes flitted about the room and it seemed as if everyone were watching, inmates who’d already taken their seats having gotten back up to get a glimpse of the confrontation. There had been a range of expressions from amused to curious as well as nervous and Jeonghan wondered just how much power Seungcheol really had to make prisoners, some of who were twice his size, legitimately nervous. Ren’s words from his first day came back to him, _one of the most powerful and intimidating gang leaders in the area,_ and he could see it. The guards didn’t move from where they stood against the walls.

Seungcheol let the man go and he instantly fell to his knees, hands flying to his crotch. “Next time I’ll rip it off, bitch.” he growled. “Keep your hands off what’s mine.”

So, yes, Jeonghan is conflicted. The side of him that wants to see the good in every person holds onto the fact that Seungcheol had technically saved and defended him, while his rational side continues to supply every reason he has to hate the gangster. One of them being this exact moment, how he’s forced to sit on his knees in sharp gravel every morning and night for fifteen minutes. When Seungcheol yanks him to his feet he falls into him in much similar fashion as he had last week and Jeonghan really doesn’t like the spark of deja vu he gets. But Seungcheol doesn’t say a word. He steadies the longhaired male, the only sign of his irritation being his noisy exhale.

When they get to their cell, Seungcheol wordlessly pushes Jeonghan to sit on the bottom bunk and kneels in front of him. The brunet watches with a tilted head as he pushes up his pant legs to his knees. They’re red and there are little indentions from where gravel dug into his skin. Seungcheol inspects them silently and the good seeking side of him clings onto this, how Seungcheol is checking on him. He thinks that maybe Seungcheol is capable of being more than a jackass, that he might care about Jeonghan’s well-being at least a little bit. The thought shatters when Seungcheol puts his pant legs back in place and rises to his feet.

“Pitiful.”

**Monday, August 14** **Showers - 11:02am, Jeonghan**

Jeonghan has never thought himself to be the luckiest person. His life so far has proven as much. But he does think whatever bit of luck he might’ve had followed him to prison. That, or it’s his paranoia making him extra careful when showering because he’s had the fortune of a) not dropping his soap and b) never showering at the same time as more that six other people, one of whom is typically Mingyu. So, he may not have much luck but he had at least a shred of it.

He should’ve seen this coming.

Today, he’s left to shower alone after Mingyu is called to a meeting. Sign number one of his little bit of luck running out. When he enters the locker room, there are five other men there and he can hear several more voices from within the showers. Sign number two. Jeonghan reconsiders coming here alone. He could wait for the showers to clear but it’s already past 11 and they’ll never empty with enough time for him to bathe comfortably. There’s a bubble of frustration in his chest toward Seungcheol for taking away his only sense of safety and he can’t think of any other solution than waiting until the showers reopen but he also doesn’t favor sitting in sweat for the next few hours.

With a sigh, Jeonghan moves further into the room. The day would’ve come sooner or later where he had to do this alone so he might as well not prolong the inevitable. He sends a little prayer that he’ll find an empty stall far away from everyone and that no one will pay him any attention then undresses. He keeps his eyes down, subconsciously making himself look smaller in an attempt to go unnoticed as he goes into the showers, washcloth, toiletries bag, and soap in one shaky hand.

His chest tightens with each step he takes on the tiled floor. Half of the twenty stalls are taken and the hair on the back of his neck stands. He’s being watched. He walks a bit faster, spotting an empty stall in the far corner away from everyone else. The closest person is four stalls down and he thanks whatever entity heard and answered his prayer. Carefully setting his things down, Jeonghan takes a few deep breaths to calm his pounding heart as he goes to untie his towel.

He wants to look around, make sure no one’s watching him, but he doesn’t think his nerves can handle that and chooses, rather, to focus on getting clean and getting out as quickly as possible. Jeonghan drapes his towel over the divider and turns the shower on. With each passing day, the initial ice cold spray of water affects him less and less and he doesn’t flinch when it hits him today. There are much more important things on his mind, anyway.

He’s trembling internally and externally and can’t seem to breathe properly. His eyes are shut as he steps under the lukewarm spray and tries to control his frantic and racing thoughts. He’s flushed from head to chest, skin warmer than the water hitting it. He wets the cloth and grabs his soap to lather it. Then, the one thing he’s dreaded most - the one thing everyone warns about - happens. He goes to set the soap back on the wall but his hand is shaking so badly that it clatters to the floor instead.

Jeonghan’s senses feel heightened; he goes stiff, acutely aware of the lull in chatter among the other inmates as he stares down at the bar. He thinks he might vomit. His insides feel oddly light yet heavy and he grits his teeth when his eyes prickle. Of course. Of course this would happen today of all days. He has to pick it up, he knows he has to pick it up but he can’t move. Jeonghan isn’t an idiot, though. He isn’t going to bend over and offer up an open invitation. No, despite his panicking, he’s rational enough to not do that.

The soap is a couple feet away from him and Jeonghan sets his washcloth aside and turns the water off. He inches toward the soap, fists clenching and unclenching, chest moving in tight puffs. He has to be quick about this. Jeonghan’s ears are ringing with white noise and he thinks he might pass out before he can retrieve his soap which would be so much worse. Jeonghan slowly squats down, thighs burning as a reminder of that morning’s workout. He huffs with relief as his fingers wrap around the bar and rises out of the squat.

At least, that’s what he _tries_ to do.

He yelps when his knees come into painful contact with the floor tiles and his heartbeat skyrockets as multiple shadows appear around him. The hand that pushed him grabs his hair and his head is craned back so far his neck hurts and he winces. A face comes into view and Jeonghan gasps, eyes zeroed in on the slit in his brow. It’s the man who’d been standing in the cafeteria a few days ago. He’s smirking now, dark eyes peering menacingly at the brunet.

“Hey, pretty boy,” the man chuckles. “Funny seeing you here all alone. Thought Coups woulda kept his pretty little toy on a leash, not let it roam around all alone.”

“Better for us,” another voice adds.

“Enough with the foreplay, Johnny,” someone else says, impatient. “I’m hard and that’s a pretty little mouth I’d like to fuck.”

These words are enough to knock Jeonghan out of his terrified trance and he screams. “Help me! Help! Someone help me!”

Johnny’s hand slaps over his mouth to quiet him. “No one’s gonna hear you, doll. And if they do, they won’t help. If anything, anyone who hears you will just want in on the fun.” he laughs at the fear in Jeonghan’s teary eyes and uncovers his mouth, turning and using his other hand to throw Jeonghan out of his stall. The brunet grunts upon impact but immediately tries to scramble away. His efforts are in vain as two other naked men, the one who had sat on the bench, and another tall one he didn’t recognize, surround him.

Jeonghan starts to scream again, calling for Ren, Mingyu - anyone to save him. He fights when they try to grab him and cover his mouth again, kicking and punching wildly. He’s in full on panic, fight or flight mode and his flight option has been thwarted. The second man from the cafeteria manages to pin his arms behind his back and Johnny slaps him. The force of it snaps his head to the side and shuts him up. There are tears streaming down Jeonghan’s face and his breathing is so shallow and fast he thinks he’s hyperventilating. 

“Please, please don’t do this!” he pleads, sounding every bit as pitiful as Seungcheol calls him. “Please!”

He’s forced to his knees in front of the third man who’s shamelessly stroking his cock. Jeonghan presses his lips together, jerking his head to the side. The second man pulls on his arms and Jeonghan’s eyes squeeze shut as he lets out a muffled grunt at the burning strain in his shoulders as they’re wrenched further behind his back. Johnny grips his hair, facing him forward, and Jeonghan resists. He throws his head back, hitting the second man in the chin. He shouts, hold on Jeonghan’s arms loosening enough for him to be able to reach out and shove the third man, catching him off balance on the wet tile and sending him stumbling several steps.

“Help!” Jeonghan shrieks as he’s pinned to the floor, one of Johnny’s hands wrapping tight around his neck and cutting off his airflow. His head thumps against the tile and the impact sends his vision swimming.

“Listen here you little bitch. I-”

“Get the fuck away from him!” Jeonghan nearly sobs in relief when he hears Seungcheol’s bellowing voice. There are footsteps and Johnny’s weight leaves his chest.

“Daddy!” He cries the moment he can breathe again, reaching out blindly. He hears who he thinks is Vernon and Mingyu fighting the Nct men but all he can focus on is the hand that yanks him to his feet, the chest he’s pulled into. He clings to the gangster, burying his face in his broad chest, sobbing his name over and over.

The events after that are a whirl. Jeonghan’s still in a panicked mindset, can’t stop shaking and crying, and is in no shape to do anything for himself. Seungcheol recognizes this with a muttered curse. He scoops Jeonghan bridal style into his arms, directing Minghao to gather his towel and toiletries. He steps on Johnny’s unconscious body on his way out and his men follow, spitting on the other men who are also unconscious.

Seungcheol stands Jeonghan back on his feet to dry him, allowing the longhaired male to lean against him as he redresses him as well. Jeonghan’s breaths are still frantic and though he’s not crying as hard anymore, there are still tears spilling down his ruddy cheeks. Seungcheol grabs him by the chin, commands his attention.

“Angel, look at me.” Jeonghan does as told, grasping the gang leader’s wrist with one hand, the other still clinging to his shirt. There’s a pinch in Seungcheol’s brow and nothing comforting in his voice. It’s firm and abrasive, but Jeonghan tries to focus on it and the words being spoken to him rather than the whirlwind of panic in his own throbbing head. “You’re fine. You need to calm down.”

“D-daddy,” Jeonghan whimpers. There’s something in the gangster's eyes that makes him want to defend himself. He wants Seungcheol to know that he fought, that he tried to get away, that he isn’t pitiful and weak like he keeps saying he is. “Th-they - they were gonna hurt me. I tried...I tried to f-fight them, I did! I tried but they-they’re s-so much stronger - I-” his panic returns as his voice becomes desperate. “I tried to fight - I’m not we-weak and-and pitiful, I-”

“Stop.”

Jeonghan swallows back the rest of his sentence. He gazes at Seungcheol through his lashes that are wet and clumped with tears, breathing shakily.

“Get your shit together.” Seungcheol grits through clenched teeth. “I will not go out there with you crying like a fucking child. We show no weakness and you are no exception. Get it the fuck together.” 

Then, in a complete 180 from his harsh words, he hugs Jeonghan. The weight of his arms around the brunet induces a strangely calming effect and his thoughts finally settle. He focuses on this, the solidness of Seungcheol’s body against his trembling one, the steady rise and fall of his chest as opposed to his uneven breaths. His own arms are caught between their bodies but it doesn’t make him feel trapped. It makes him feel safer, like nothing can reach him when he’s enveloped so completely in Seungcheol’s embrace.

His face is pressed to the man’s neck and he doesn’t want to move. Seungcheol’s skin and a section of his neckline are damp from his tears but he doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. There’s no huff of annoyance and he isn’t pushing Jeonghan away. He holds the brunet until he’s completely calmed down. Jeonghan has to resist the urge to whine when Seungcheol stops hugging him and takes a backwards step. Two fingers tap the underside of his chin and he lifts his head. Seungcheol’s eyes are softer, his entire expression has softened, which shocks Jeonghan. This is the first time he’s ever given him a look that wasn’t a glare or meant to intimidate him. Seungcheol wipes away his remaining tears and his heart skips a beat. They just look at each other for a moment, then Seungcheol turns heel and walks out of the locker room.

Jeonghan stares after him, mind fuzzy and confused, but scurries behind him with a gentle nudge from Minghao. He seizes the back of the jacket tied about Seungcheol’s waist, holding tight to it as they get to the door leading to the cafeteria. Seungcheol pauses, regards Jeonghan over his shoulder. Jeonghan, fully aware of the no touching without permission rule, chews on his bottom lip. Seungcheol doesn’t make him let go like he normally would. He merely pushes through the door, allows it when Jeonghan sees that the cafeteria is full and gravitates closer to him.

Their little cluster arrives at Svt’s claimed table, Minghao breaking away to get in line. Ren is there and springs out of his seat when his eyes land on Jeonghan. He rushes over to hug the brunet who accepts it gladly.

“Hannie, are you ok? You look shaken.” Ren frets, worry clear in his voice.

“Taeyong’s mutts cornered him in the showers.” Vernon answers in his place.

“What? Why was he alone?” Ren demands, pulling Jeonghan into the bench. Jeonghan subconsciously shifts closer to Seungcheol and the action doesn’t go unseen by his eagle-eyed friend.

“We were having a meeting.” Seungcheol says shortly.

“It couldn’t have waited?” the blond fires back and Jeonghan’s eyes widen, fully expecting Ren to get backhanded for raising his voice at the gang leader like that. What he’s not expecting is for Seungcheol to just shrug, unbothered. _They’re friends,_ he remembers, _this is normal for them._

“This is something that could’ve and eventually would’ve happened whether Mingyu was there to play bodyguard or not.” he counters. “He’ll be fine.” 

“Hao heard a scream and ran to get us.” Mingyu interjects. “They didn’t get a chance to do much to him.”

“Besides,” Seungcheol brushes a lock of Jeonghan’s hair behind his ear. He can see that the man is smirking from his peripheral. “Angel isn’t completely helpless. He actually put up a fight.”

There are surprised noises from around the table and Soonyoung claps for him. Jeonghan isn’t sure if he’s doing it in a mocking manner or if he’s actually being praised. His head snaps up when a tray is set in front of him, swivelling to find who put it there and Minghao gives him a half smile. He nods his thanks and reaches for his fork only to stop halfway. He’s not hungry. His stomach is still unsettled from earlier and he's not sure if he can stomach prison food right now.

"Eat, Angel." Seungcheol whispers into his ear.

" 'm not hungry," he mumbles and Seungcheol grabs his chin to meet his eye.

"It wasn't a suggestion. Eat."

Jeonghan bites his tongue, nodding. "Yes, daddy."

He pulls his tray closer and grabs the fork. He moves almost mechanically as he eats, forcing down bite after bite. He tries to listen to the conversation around him - Ren had given up trying to start a conversation with him cause he'd basically gone mute - but all the voices bleed together and he can't pick them apart. He empties the tray without realizing and stares at it dazedly for a bit, his fork hovering above the table. He slowly lowers it onto the tray and feels Seungcheol lean over.

“Good girl.”

Jeonghan continues to start at his empty tray. He feels...off. His brain is still fuzzy and it feels like his head is being weighed down with rocks. His chest is light and fluttery and he’s confused and dazed and-

“Daddy?”

Seungcheol picks up on his barely there whisper. “Hm?”

“I-I’m...can I go to sleep? Please?”

Seungcheol scans his slight frame and Jeonghan looks at him pleadingly. “We have a meeting after lunch.”

“I’ll be out of the way,” he insists, voice edging on a whine.The thought of having to go anywhere but their cell makes him anxious. “I’ll be good, please?”

“I’ll let you stay, Angel, but I’m getting something out of it.”

Jeonghan’s about to ask what exactly that “something” is but the bell rings and he loses his chance. Seungcheol tugs him to his feet and he’s guided to the right handed staircase. He starts to protest - his tray is still on the table - but when he looks back, MInghao has already gathered it along with Seuncheol’s and his own so he clamps his mouth shut. They enter their shared cell and Seungcheol sits in the wooden chair.

“Kneel.” The command is slow to register and Jeonghan gapes dumbly at Seungcheol until it clicks. He drops to his knees, head bowed and hands flat on the tops of his thighs. Fingers run through his brown locks in a petting manner and the touch is somewhat soothing to Jeonghan’s sluggish brain. He’s guided forward gently until he’s right between Seungcheol’s spread legs. He lays his head against the man’s thigh when prompted and blinks up at him, thinks he could fall asleep like this. His expressions are back to being unreadable. “Tell me, Angel,” Seungcheol muses moments later. “Have you ever cockwarmed?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this chapter has been a massive struggle for me. I wanted to post it yesterday but writer's block was kicking my ass and I was frustrated and just not satisfied with what I was writing and I almost deleted it - almost. In all honesty, I have mixed feelings about this chapter cause I don't think it's as good as the first two. So please share how you feel about in the comments. I love to see y'all's thoughts and I'm really lacking motivation rn and comments really help when it comes to that. If you haven't, please consider giving this story a kudos as it is also a huge source of motivation and lets me know that you're actually enjoying the story. I do try to respond to most if not all comments even though I'm not too good at coming up with good responses.  
> Thanks for reading!! 


	4. A Lesson in Confidence - Monday, August 14 1:37pm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK SO I KNOW I SAID I WOULD TRY TO UPDATE SOONER BUT THINGS HAPPEN. I am so so sorry for this obnoxiously long wait but so much has happened over the last few weeks. Between writer's block (which actually turned out to be the least of my problems with this) and life in general, it's been a struggle to write. For nearly two weeks, I had been in such a bad headspace that I couldn't even turn my computer on. And when I did, I could do no more than stare at the screen. Also, you guys already know what's going on in the world, and being on Twitter and seeing that threw me into yet another bad headspace where I just wanted to curl up and cry or distract myself. I actually felt guilty for wanting to write for a couple days cause even though I've been actively tweeting about the black lives matter movement and protests, it just felt wrong. But then I realized, that as much as I need an escape from all the bad, so do other people and for some, this story might be that escape. Which is what made me start writing again. If I can make at least one person smile with this update, I have a reason to keep writing.  
> This is just my long-winded way of saying that I'm sorry for taking decades to update and while I make no promises, I will be starting the next chapter as soon as this is posted so hopefully I'll get that up much sooner.
> 
> The first section of this chapter is over 3000 words of pure smut and I'm not sorry.
> 
> A huge huge HUGE thanks to my lovely helper mitchelleao! She helped so much with this chapter and is a literal blessing
> 
> Enjoy!

Jeonghan blinks slowly up at Seungcheol as the question seeps past the densing fogginess of his brain. When it does, he doesn’t get his normal surge of panic or helpless disgust. Seungcheol’s fingers are still carding through his hair and he feels disconnected, floaty yet weighed down. His brain to mouth filter is lagging and his tongue is heavy in his mouth. It takes more effort than it should for him to formulate a simple answer but Seungcheol is surprisingly patient with him today and waits for his response.

“N-no…” Jeonghan finally utters and his voice sounds small and far away to his own ears, like he’s speaking from the end of a hallway.

Seungcheol smirks, cocky and mean, patting Jeonghan’s cheek in a demeaning manner. “Of course you don’t, my little Angel,” he purrs. “This’ll serve as lesson three, then.”

He undoes the drawstrings to his uniform trousers and pushes them down until his mostly flaccid cock springs free. Having already been somewhat conditioned, Jeonghan’s lips part instantly, the tip of his tongue peeking out to wet them. He scoots forward more when prompted and Seungcheol nudges his cockhead against his lips. Jeonghan goes to lift his head but the hand in his hair brings it back to rest on Seungcheol’s thigh. He looks up at the man, eyes glazed over.

“Stay right there, Angel. I just want you to keep me nice and warm with that pretty little mouth of yours. Can you be a good girl and keep Daddy’s cock warm?”

The question is spoken in a gentle yet condescending way and Jeonghan can only nod dumbly in reply, lips parting further. Seungcheol guides his cock into the brunet’s pliant mouth, stopping when his tip nudges at the back of his throat, on the verge of gagging him. Jeonghan suckles on his mouthful, growing even more lethargic, and he’s never felt this calm in Seungcheol’s presence before. Despite the intruding length, he still feels like he could fall asleep like this and it adds more confusion to his addled brain.

There’s something strangely calming about the weight on his tongue, how it just sits there. He can feel Seungcheol hardening, growing between his slightly chapped lips but the man doesn’t move at all once he’s settled. Jeonghan realizes - he’s fine with this. He’s not sure why, or how, really, but he’s fine with this. Likes it even. He’s calm and relaxed, Seugncheol is still petting his hair, and he’s just drifting through a hazy, half asleep state. Distantly, he hears footsteps and even as the room fills with the rest of Seungcheol’s men, he’s calm.

Jeonghan doesn’t pay any attention to the meeting going on around him. His eyes are fluttering, the length of time between blinks getting longer as time passes. His body is light, a blanket of sleepy warmth settled over him. His ears are fuzzy, everything sounding somewhat muted and far away. There are no thoughts in his head, just the constant weight of a cock on his tongue that doesn’t move aside from the occasional twitch. It’s the only thing keeping him grounded. He goes between suckling lazily and not moving, breathing shallowly through his nose all the while. Seungcheol has stopped petting him but he maintains some form of contact, his right hand on the exposed curve of Jeonghan’s neck. It also doesn’t move and its presence isn’t threatening or fear inducing as it normally is.

Bits and pieces of conversation reach his ear, going in one side and out the other.

_“Dino and DK-”_

_“Gangnam-gu”_

_“Kill-”_

_“-night-”_

_“Leave-”_

_“November-”_

He doesn’t retain any of the bits, content to just sit there, ignored. He doesn’t know how long he sits like this, how long the meeting lasts, but it’s long enough for a lick of arousal to flicker in his stomach. It fills his floaty body slow as molten lava, starting low in his belly. His own cock stirs a bit and he’s a little more conscious as he begins to suckle more eagerly. There’s a soft chuckle above him and he thinks he hears Seungcheol dismissing the meeting.

Moments later, his mouth is empty and his eyes fly open as he whines, the sound pitched and reedy. He wants the weight back on his tongue and he mindlessly chases after Seungcheol’s cock as the man stands. He’s stopped when the hand returns to his hair and tightens. The fogginess in Jeonghan’s brain lifts enough for him to come back to his senses a bit, and he blinks quickly several times, panting lightly and trying to unmuddle his thoughts.

“Come to your senses, Angel?” Seungcheol chuckles, running his thumb over Jeonghan’s bottom lip and pushing it into his mouth. Jeonghan’s lips close around the digit and Seungcheol allows him to suckle for a moment before he pulls his thumb free, smearing spit over his bottom lip and cheek as he grabs the brunet’s chin to tilt his head up. “Who knew my innocent Angel could be such a cock hungry slut? You want daddy’s cock that bad?”

Jeonghan starts to protest, to say no, but he pauses. Arousal is burning hot in his stomach and he can feel himself still hardening.

“Tell the truth," he's warned. "I hate liars."

Jeonghan gazes doe-eyed at the gang leader. If he’s completely honest with himself at this moment then, yes, he does want Seungcheol. He’s aroused and lust is further clouding his already hazy judgement. His rationality is barely intact, he’s still floaty and weird, and he just wants to be taken care of. Seungcheol raises an expectant brow and Jeonghan nods.

“Good girl,” Seungcheol praises mockingly. “Wasn’t so hard to tell the truth, now was it?”

He’s not expecting an answer, reaching over to pull Jeonghan’s blanket off the bottom bunk. Jeonghan watches him spread it on the floor, bottom lip caught between his teeth. He gasps when Seungcheol lifts and relocates him to the blanket. The gangster positions him to his liking, Jeonghan finding himself face down, ass up on his hands and knees. His uniform pants are yanked down along with his boxers, baring him to the open air.

Jeonghan is still surprisingly calm even as Seungcheol plays with his ass, large hands groping and kneading at his pert ass, the skin dimpling when he squeezes. A breathy, broken moan falls past his lips at the treatment. Seungcheol spreads his cheeks and a thick finger runs dryly over his hole. Jeonghan gasps, jerking away from his touch. He’s yanked back by the hips and yelps when a stinging slap lands on his right cheek.

“Stay still.” Seungcheol orders, Jeonghan whimpering out an apology. “When was the last time you took cock?”

Jeonghan blushes at the bluntness of the question. “O-over a year.” he answers shyly.

Seungcheol thumbs over his sensitive rim and Jeonghan crosses his arms in front of him to muffle a moan into them, hiding his face. His heart jumps when Seungcheol applies more pressure and he’s hoping the man doesn’t plan on fingering him dry. The thought of it sends an unpleasant thrill down his spine and he tenses as Seungcheol presses harder. The tip of his thumb breaches Jeonghan’s rim and the dry stretch has him crying out.

“Look at this little hole.” Seungcheol murmurs. “Won’t even be able to take my cock properly, you’re so tight.”

For some reason, this statement sends a flood of shame through Jeonghan and he feels his eyes prickle. There’s a part of him that wants to please the gang leader. It’s tiny and very likely the result of everything that’s happened today, but it’s there. He’s whining but doesn’t realize he’s doing so until Seungcheol’s hand grabs the back of his neck. It squeezes and the sound gets stuck in his throat, shoulders tensing instinctively. He turns his head cautiously, right cheek resting on his arms.

“Quiet, Angel,” the man hushes him. “I’m still gonna give it to you. Just need to open you up first.” he taps Jeonghan’s lips with three fingers. “Suck.”

Jeonghan’s tongue peeks out, licking over his finger tips before he opens his mouth and allows the digits to enter. He seals his lips around them and sucks, eyes fluttering closed. Seungcheol pushes Jeonghan’s shirt up his back so that it pools just under his armpits. The fingers of his free hand return to rubbing at Jeonghan’s rim, teasing the puckered hole. The brunet whimpers muffledly, wriggling. He receives another reprimanding spank and cries out, Seungcheol’s fingers slipping out of his mouth.

“I told you to stay still, stupid little girl.” Seungcheol growls. “Don’t fucking move again.”

A hint of Jeonghan’s normal fear runs through him but is gone just as soon as it comes and he shivers slightly. He feels Seungcheol’s spit coated fingers prod at his hole, the tip of his index finger dipping in. The small stretch burns, and has him hissing as one finger is worked into him. It’s still somewhat dry and Jeonghan bites his lip, squeezing his eyes shut.

Seungcheol trails his eyes over Jeonghan’s taut form, taking in his slim waist, hunched shoulders, and bowed head. “Take your shirt off,” he says as he starts to work a second finger into the brunet. Jeonghan whines softly, clenching around his fingers. Seungcheol pinches his hip to make him squirm. “I won’t repeat myself.”

Jeonghan lifts himself on shaky arms, grabbing at his shirt and tugging it over his head. He drops it on the blanket, assuming his previous position, face buried in his arms. He tries to focus on anything other than the uncomfortable sensation of Seungcheol’s fingers pumping in and out of him. It’s toeing the line between discomfort and pain and he’s making no attempt to be gentle with the longhaired male.

A third finger is added and Jeonghan nearly shouts, back arching. The stretch is too fast and dry and he wants to get away from it but Seungcheol’s hand has returned to the nape of his neck - a warning. Jeonghan is gripping the blanket so tightly his knuckles turn white and he’s biting down so hard on his forearm he thinks he might draw blood. He’s whimpering and whining continuously, his rim burning. Seungcheol fucks him relentlessly, fast and hard, long fingers scissoring his hole.

Jeonghan’s arousal has settled into a low simmer, slowly dissipating as pain shoots up his spine. His cock is starting to soften and he wants to tell Seungcheol to stop but when his fingers twist and curl inside of Jeonghan, there’s a sudden burst of pleasure that makes the brunet keen. His hips buck involuntarily as he tightens around the man’s fingers, Seungcheol chuckling behind him.

“Found it.” he grabs Jeonghan’s hip to keep him in place as he grinds the tips of his fingers into his prostate. His arousal returns at full force and Jeonghan is left scrambling. Seungcheol starts fucking him again and Jeonghan has no choice but to take it, unable to escape the overwhelming mix of pleasure and pain. He can feel himself leaking between his legs and is shocked to find that he could definitely cum from this if Seungcheol doesn’t stop soon.

The man seems to read his mind as he stops the brutal thrust of his fingers and pulls them out of Jeonghan. It’s a tiny but welcomed break, tension he didn’t realize he’d been holding melting as he relaxes his shoulders and back. Jeonghan is drooling on his arm and his cock throbs between his legs when he hears Seungcheol spit into his hand. Part of him wants to peek at the man over his shoulder but his limbs feel like jelly and he doesn’t know if he can lift his head right now.

Seungcheol spits again and Jeonghan can feel it slide down the cleft of his ass and into his hole.The mushroom head of Seungcheol’s cock nudges against his rim and Jeonghan tenses unconsciously, anticipating. The hand is at his neck again as Seungcheol enters him, keeping him still as he’s stretched impossibly wide around his girth. Jeonghan’s mouth falls open in a silent scream and he forgets how to breathe.

He doesn’t know what to do with his hands. They’re scrambling across the blanket, clawing at it, and his back arches so deeply it aches. His nipples are rubbing against the blanket, adding another layer of pained pleasure. His rim is stretched so taut it’s turned white and Seungcheol thumbs at the skin as he bottoms out, smirking when Jeonghan releases a choked off wail. He stays there, hips flush to Jeonghan’s ass, reveling in the tightness around his cock.

Jeonghan is trembling as he just hangs off of Seungcheol’s cock, stuffed so full it has his head spinning. He’s babbling nonsensically, reedy voice foreign to his own ears. Tears are slipping down his cheeks. Seungcheol barely allows him time to adjust before he’s pulling out and slamming into Jeonghan. Jeonghan screams, hand flying to cover his mouth as Seungcheol builds an unforgiving pace. The sound of skin on skin fills their cell and Jeonghan worries for the first time that the guards in the cafeteria can hear them.

He doesn’t linger on that thought for too long because Seungcheol shifts and nails his prostate on the next inward thrust. He’s embarrassingly close already, the force of Seungcheol’s thrusts causing his knees to slip further apart. Seungcheol leans over him, muscled chest plastering to Jeonghan’s back, the hold on his hips so tight it’s sure to leave bruises. The drag of Seungcheol’s cock against his walls is dry and intense yet so good and Jeonghan is slowly losing his mind. His prostate gets no reprieve and, unthinkingly, his hand that isn’t over his mouth shoots behind him to push at Seungcheol’s thigh, overwhelmed.

It’s pinned to his lower back in seconds in an iron grasp and Jeonghan wails muffledly behind his palm. Seungcheol speeds up and fresh tears spill out of his eyes. The tip of his weeping cock is brushing insistently against the blanket, precum wetting the fabric. He wants to touch himself so bad. Jeonghan bites his lip to quiet himself as he uncovers his mouth, hand sneaking between his legs. He barely touches himself before both his arms are pinned to his lower back. Jeonghan lets out a sob.

“Daddy...d-daddy, please,” he gasps between moans. “ ‘m s-so close, daddy please!”

“You won’t cum until I tell you to.” Seungcheol growls and his pace turns slow and hard, forcing the air from Jeonghan’s lungs out in staccato cries with each thrust. He keeps Jeonghan’s hands pinned with his right hand, left hand reaching around to squeeze the base of the brunet’s cock, staving off his orgasm.

“No, n-no,” Jeonghan hiccups, head shaking frantically. He tries to protest but only manages breathy “ah, ah, ah”s, unable to form coherent sentences. He knows his cries are being ignored but babbles on, begging Seungcheol to let him cum. 

His arms fall limply to his sides when Seungcheol releases them in order to grab his hair. He uses his handful to sit them both up, holding Jeonghan flush to his chest. He fucks him like that, bouncing the brunet in his lap. The change in angle allows Seungcheol to go deeper and it has Jeonghan keening high in the back of his throat.

"Big..." He whines. His hands flit about, needing something to ground him but not staying in one place. He grabs blindly at the wrist behind his head, other hand sliding over his sweating body. His skin is hot to the touch, sensitive and buzzing with ecstasy. Seungcheol tugs his hair to tilt his head to the side and latches onto a patch of porcelain skin where his shoulder and neck meet. Jeonghan cries out as he sucks harshly on the spot, temporarily halting the movement of his hips to grind up into the brunet’s tight heat.

Seungcheol pulls away only after a dark bruise has formed, blowing over the damp skin to see the way Jeonghan shivers. Jeonghan’s cock is throbbing and red, tip leaking profusely but unable to cum. He pushes at the hand around his base. “Please,” he huffs, hole tightening around Seungcheol’s dick, the slow grind driving him mad. “Please lemme cum...it h-hurts, please…”

“Give me one reason I should let you.” Seungcheol muses, letting go of his hair to run his fingers over Jeonghan’s nipples. It earns him another whine and he twists one hardening bud, cooing as Jeonghan arches prettily, curving away from his chest. He can tell the brunet is fighting to maintain some form of coherency and stills completely, buried deep. “Go on.”

Jeonghan licks his lips, panting as he tries to get his muddled mind to focus on anything but the cock in his ass and hand tightly encircling his base. Of course, he should’ve known that Seungcheol has no intention of actually letting him speak. He’s just baiting him - teasing him - because when he tries to talk, Seungcheol bucks his hips and whatever word is on the tip of his tongue breaks off into a moan.

He’s being mean, egging Jeonghan on. “Come on, Angel.” he teases. “I’m not moving. Tell me.”

Jeonghan doesn’t want to play his cruel little game but Seungcheol pinches his nipple when he stays quiet, giving him no other option. So he tries again and gets the same result, whining as his prostate is nudged by Seungcheol’s bulbous tip. This happens three more times, all of Jeonghan’s attempts at speaking transformed into helpless cries of pleasure. He’s trembling, on edge, and Seungcheol starts fucking into him again, tearing a scream out of him.

On the next thrust, Jeonghan wails, loud and surprised as his orgasm hit him hard, cock throbbing painfully as he’s denied release. His vision whitens, thighs quivering and body convulsing in Seungcheol’s lap, hole clenching so tightly the other can barely move. He’s whimpering and crying, dizzy with his sudden high.

Seungcheol shoves him forward with a hand between his shoulder blades and pounds him into the blanket. He’s pinned beneath the gangster who braces himself with his forearms on either side of Jeonghan’s head, hips setting a punishing pace. The drag of his cock against Jeonghan’s sensitive rim is painfully good, his body thrown into a conflicting state of overstimulation. The man is growling into his ear, deep voice rumbling in his chest, and Jeonghan can feel the vibrations in his own body where they’re pressed together.

“I thought I told you not to cum. Stupid Angel can’t even follow simple instructions.”

Jeonghan’s being fucked too stupid to comprehend what he’s saying much less apologize. His mouth hangs open and his eyes are cloudy and unfocused. Seungcheol cums inside him almost a minute later and Jeonghan moans weakly as he’s filled. His ears are ringing with white noise and his eyelids are drooping, throat raw and burning from overuse. He’s still hard and leaking where he’s trapped against the blanket but it’s the last thought on his foggy mind and he’s vaguely aware of Seungcheol pulling out. His fingers come to play with Jeonghan’s sensitive rim, teasing at his winking hole. The brunet is whimpering but doesn’t have the energy to squirm and can only emit a feeble cry when two fingers push into him before everything goes dark.

**Tuesday, August 15** **Falling Flower Nightclub, Gangnam-gu, Seoul - 9:49pm**

Bright lights. Blues and pinks and reds - nearly every color of the rainbow - lighting up the otherwise dark room in flashing strobes. Music is blaring through the surround sound system, making conversation below shouting level impossible. The dance floor is filled with swaying bodies and the bar is just as packed with customers ranging from business men doing toasts in pressed suits to part-timers drinking their sorrows away. He overlooks everything from his place in the upstairs lounge.

He sits in his usual spot on the plush velvet sofa, surrounded by women in flashy dresses so short they leave little to the imagination, and twinks in sheer tops and tight jeans. His right arm is propped on the arm of the sofa, half full glass of whiskey in hand, and he lazily swirls the liquid about as one of the women whispers into his ear, hand running teasingly down his silk shirt clad chest.

Very few are allowed into this section of the lounge. He’s paranoid, has two men guarding the stairs, only allowing prostitutes and stippers through and even then, he only accepts ones who fit a certain style. Small in the waist and dainty with skin white as snow - ones who pose no physical threat to him. He’s paying no mind to the one whispering to him and another sashays over and plants herself on his lap.

He spends most of his Tuesdays and Fridays here, rotating through women and men alike pining to be the lucky one he brought home next. They know his game, know that the night spent with him will be their first and last, and yet they’re all more than willing to play. He hasn’t chosen yet tonight and they’re all seeking his attention in some form in hopes of catching his eye.

So far, no one’s managed to grasp his attention for more than ten seconds and he scans his little crowd again and again with vague interest. The made-up faces are all familiar, all too familiar, and he’s starting to think a change of scenery is needed, debates having his regulars filtered out with newer, different faces. He goes to take a swig of his drink when something - someone, rather - catches his eye. It’s hard to see properly in the strobing lights but he spots him as he ascends the last step and from his vantage point, he can tell this is a newcomer.

The voice of the woman on his lap becomes white noise as the newcomer’s face is illuminated by a flash of red light. He’s looking around the lounge, full lips curved into a pretty pout. His cheeks are cherubic and he looks to be wearing makeup. His shirt is see through and his pants ripped to hell, showing off pretty thighs, and tight around the enticing curve of his ass. Their eyes meet across the room and those pouty lips lift into a smirk as he saunters over, walking as if he owns the places, chin up and hips swaying.

Pouty lips reaches the sofa and the woman in his lap takes this as her cue to leave - his decision has been made. The newcomer settles into his lap as if he belongs there and lips press against his ear.

“Looking for someone?” his voice is soft, as sultry and sensual as his outfit.

“Maybe.” he murmurs back, hand finding its way to the exposed skin of one thick thigh. “What’s your name, sexy?”

“You can call me Diva.”

“Diva? And why’s that?”

The smirk turns into a suggestive smile, plush bottom lip caught between pearly white teeth. A hand is placed on his chest, confidently skilled fingers undoing the top two buttons of his silk shirt. “I always get my way.”

Ten minutes later he’s being led to the clubs back exit door, entranced by pouty lips and flirty words. It hadn’t taken much convincing on Diva’s end to get him away from the lounge and jealous men and women glaring enviously at them. He’d agreed with a thoughtless nod when the male on his lap suggestively whispered that they should _“Get out of here.”_ while simultaneously grinding his ass against him. The alleyway is poorly lit with neon lights from surrounding buildings and a single street lamp. The door closes behind them with a thud and Diva lets go of his hand, turning to face him.

“Men really do just think with their dicks.”

The comment is unexpected and throws him for a loop. Gone is the flirty smile and seductively cocked brow. Diva’s face has set into a glare of disgust as he crosses his arms over his chest. His paranoia takes much too long to reactivate and he takes a backwards step only to freeze when there’s a voice behind him.

“Long time, no see, Hwang Jongmin.”

The use of his real name sends a stab of fear through him. No one here should know his real name. No one should know him by any other name outside his alias. Diva smirks at the look of growing horror on his face and Jongmin’s head whips around to see over his shoulder. He’s taking tiny, stilted steps towards the exit door and someone terrifyingly familiar steps out of the shadows. An embarrassingly loud gasp is ripped from his lungs and his knees buckle momentarily.

“W-woozi?” his inquiry earns him a tilted head and smirk. He stumbles, gripped with fear as Jihoon approaches him with slow, calculated steps.

“Don’t look so surprised. Surely, you knew this would happen eventually. You knew we would find you.”

“We do admit that you covered your trail pretty decently.”

He whirls, the second voice appearing from his other side. Diva is nowhere to be seen, two other men standing in his place. They’re all stalking toward him, predatory, and he grasps blindly behind himself for the door handle. Locked. His only options are either to run or try and fight them off and neither of those are very favorable.

“Wait, wait, ok. Hear me out.” he tries, head swiveling between the three men, a nervous tremor in his voice. “I can, I can give you money. As much money as you want. How’s that sound? Or - or I can let you spend the night with some of my girls, yeah? They’re real good, you won’t be disappointed, I promise you.”

Jihoon scowls. “We don’t want your whores you sick son of a bitch.”

“You set our team up.” Chan says, jutting his chin at Jongmin. “No amount of money will make us forget you trying to screw us over.”

“B-but you don’t know it was me! I-I’m a loyal man. I stay loyal to my-my commitments.” 

“Then why’d you conveniently drop off the face of the earth the day after our team was carted off to prison, riddle me that.” Junhui implored with a cock of his head. “And they just so happen to “coincidentally” get caught after some intel _you_ gave us? It’s insulting how stupid you think we are.”

Jongmin sputters, unable to conjure up another rebuttal. The three men reach for their waistbands in sync and seconds later, three guns are aimed at his head. He hits his knees, pleading for them to _“Wait!” “Don’t-don’t shoot!” “Please I’ll do anything, just don’t kill me!”_

His pathetic wheedling is irritating Jihoon and he kicks Jongmin in the neck. It sends him sprawling, choking on spit and air. “We’re not so generous as to shoot you, dumbass. You’re coming with us and you’re gonna see what happens to backstabbing fuckers that set us up.”

Jongmin is still choking, grabbing at his neck and his eyes betray his fear. They’re wide, almost bulging out of their sockets, and his dilated pupils are shaking. Jihoon nods to Junhui and in the next second, Jongmin’s world goes black.

**Thursday, August 17** **Outdoor Gym Courtyard - 2:30pm, Jeonghan & Soonyoung**

“This move is for when someone grabs you from behind,” Soonyoung starts as he circles to stand behind Jeonghan. “These moves are simple and easy to remember even in times of panic. They’re quick and efficient when it comes to getting away. Put your arms to your sides.”

Jeonghan does as told and Soonyoung wraps his arms around him and squeezes, pinning them to his sides and pressing tightly to his back. Their faces are uncomfortably close when Jeonghan turns his head so he refrains from doing so, staring straight ahead at the chainlink fence a few feet away from him.

“Ok, so your first instinct in this situation is to squirm, right? Try to free your arms. Yeah, don’t do that. When someone grabs you, they’re expecting you to panic and squirm. Therefore, your first reaction needs to be a stomp. Stomp on my foot.” Soonyoung instructs.

“Huh?”

“Step on my foot.”

Jeonghan is hesitant, not wanting to actually hurt the man. He lightly steps on Soonyoung’s foot and he scoffs.

“I’m not gonna break, pretty boy. You gotta use more force than that.”

“But I don’t -”

“At least put a little more weight behind it.”

Jeonghan huffs, doing as told with a wince. Soonyoung chuckles at the reaction, unaffected. “I’ll take it since this is only a practice but for future reference, I want you to try and break the foot of whoever your attacker is.”

“What? No! I can’t break someone’s foot!” Jeonghan protests, looking back at Soonyoung as if he’d grown a second head.

“You can if it comes down to saving your own life.” he counters with a challenging quirk of his brow, humming when Jeonghan stays silent. “Exactly.”

“Whatever,” the brunet shakes his head, facing forward again. “Now what?”

“Ok, after you stomp _as hard as you can_ ,” he emphasizes and Jeonghan rolls his eyes. Soonyoung loosens his hold, stepping back. “The pain and surprise will make him lose his grip around your arms, thus allowing you to elbow him in the ribs. Elbow me.” When Jeonghan hesitates again, Soonyoung grabs his right arm and bends it. “Like this,” he explains, guiding Jeonghan’s elbow into his ribcage. “It doesn’t matter where you hit, just throw your arm back as fast and hard as you can. It’ll wind the guy, potentially break a rib, and you’ll be free.”

Jeonghan nods. “Then I can run?”

“Technically, yes, but you also want to inhibit your attacker as much as possible so you don’t have to worry about being chased. Now, elbowing him will make him stumble a step or two back. From there, face me.” he lets go and Jeonghan turns to face him. “I know these are considered cheap shots, but they’ll save your life in this kind of situation. How to remember this next step? Easy: think eyeballs.”

“Huh?”

“Go for the eyes-” he points to his eyes, “ - can’t chase someone you can’t see.” next, he points to his crotch. “then the balls. The reasoning behind that one is obvious enough. Eyeballs. And you want to do it in that order because,” he gestures for Jeonghan to come closer. “Try to kick me.” he catches the brunet’s leg mid-air when he does so eliciting a surprised gasp from him. “I can catch your leg because I can see it coming. So,” he drops Jeonghan’s leg. “You want to take out my sight first then add insult to injury.”

“So I just...poke you in the eye?”

“I’m gonna teach you the eye jab.”

“Eye jab?”

“Yes. It’s extremely easy to remember and the perfect thing to use in any self-defense situation if your hands are free. You’re gonna use your index, middle and ring fingers for this.” Soonyoung takes Jeonghan’s hand, pressing together the aforementioned fingers and bending them slightly. “You want them bent like this so you don’t break your fingers like an idiot if you miss and hit bone instead. You’re gonna aim for the bridge of the nose because you’ll still hit an eye when you miss, which is the point. And when you’re doing it,” Soonyoung demonstrates the action and Jeonghan’s head jerks back in wide-eyed surprise at the speed his hand moves, fingertips mere centimeters from Jeonghan’s face before they’re gone. “You need to move fast. The speed catches people off guard and there’s no time to defend or react, especially when they’re already in pain.”

“Do I have to do the last part?” Jeonghan asks apprehensively, rubbing subconsciously at the still very visible hickey on his neck. “If I break their foot like you want me to do, wouldn’t that be enough of a hindrance without me temporarily blinding and kicking them?”

Soonyoung stares at him, unimpressed, before he sighs. He walks backwards to their claimed table and sits on the top, motioning for Jeonghan to join him. Jeonghan sits on the bench to his left, feeling somewhat like a little kid about to get lectured. He peeks up at the raven haired man, head tilted in question.

“You do...You do know that when someone attacks you, the last thing they care about is how badly they’re hurting you, right? At least, you should, considering the run in you had with those Nct mutts.” Soonyoung says, observing the small frown that forms on Jeonghan’s lips as a result of his words. “I don’t know much about you but it’s obvious that you’re the caring type. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just not something that works…” he sweeps his arm in a gesture to the courtyard. “here. You gotta toughen up, pretty boy. Especially because you’re pretty. You’re a walking target cause you’re cute, tiny, and don’t look like you can fight back. And you can’t.”

Jeonghan’s frown deepens as he follows the gesture with his eyes, a crease forming between his brows. “What, so you’re telling me to stoop to their level?”

“ _Their_ level?” Soonyoung scoffs and there’s a note of irritation in his voice as he plants his hands on the surface behind him to hold his weight as he leans back. “As in criminal? Listen, I don’t know if you’ve realized this yet, but this is your life now. You’re in prison. Doesn’t matter why or how. According to everyone on the other side of that fence -” he points an accusing finger at the chainlink, barbed wire topped fence. “you’re already on “their level”. This is how the outside world views you - a criminal. They don’t care what got you in here. They don’t care if you’re someone’s child or if it was all a misunderstanding. Because the second you put that uniform on, you became nothing more than a criminal.”

His face hardens as more irritation seeps into his voice with each line. “And sure, you can get out early on good behavior but that changes nothing. It changes absolutely nothing because then they’ll be watching you, watching and waiting for you to screw up - for you to get caught again - because in their eyes and from this point forward, you’re incapable of being anything more than a criminal. And there are two ways you can handle that fact. You can continue to cower and uselessly try to defend yourself against deaf ears, or you can fit the mold you’ve been forced into.”

The words hit hard and Jeonghan chews on his bottom lip, looking away. Soonyoung is right. He has a point and Jeonghan hates the truth in his words. He doesn’t know what his life will be like once he finally leaves this hellhole but he knows that everyone outside of his parents will never see him the same. The thought sends a pang of hurt through his chest and part of him wants to cry.

It isn’t fair. None of it - being in prison, how he was _thrown in prison_ \- is fair. This shouldn’t have happened to him, this shouldn’t be his life. That thought enrages him, sparks a simmering anger in his chest. He clenches his jaw, a mix of forlorn sadness and bitter rage swirling within him. Soonyoung must see the change because he releases an amused huff through his nose.

“I see you’ve made your decision.”

**Friday, August 18** **Call booth 2 - 10:20am, Minghao**

“So?”

“Hello to you too, Haohao.”

Minghao rolls his eyes at the sassy remark but his lips twitch into a tiny smile. “Hello, my moon.” he murmurs and the breathy giggle he receives makes him smile more but also plants a seed of longing in his heart. He hasn’t seen Junhui’s face in far too long and thinking about that makes his smile fall. He pushes it away. “I was expecting your call on Wednesday, what happened?”

“Jihoon said we should lay low a few days to make sure we’re in the clear. We’ve been extra careful about quite literally everything since the incident and, admittedly, it’s a bit tiring to feel like we’re constantly walking on eggshells.” Junhui sighs. “But, I’m sure you all will be pleased to know that we’ve gotten rid of the pest problem.”

Minghao’s smile returns at this, dark and a bit sinister. “I’ll share the news.”

**Wednesday, August 23** **Indoor Gym - 9:45am, Jeonghan, Mingyu & Seungcheol**

Jeonghan is distracted. He's supposed to be listening to Mingyu, supposed to be keeping track of how many godforsaken burpees they've done, but he's distracted. Ever since his attack in the showers, Jeonghan doesn’t go anywhere alone. Ren has, unsurprisingly, glued himself to his side, which Jeonghan is endlessly grateful for but, much more unexpectedly, Seungcheol has become somewhat of a bodyguard. His presence is obvious in a subtle way: the hand at the small of Jeonghan’s back when they’re walking the halls or going to roll call, his random appearance or lingering in whatever area Jeonghan is in, and he’s even started accompanying him and Mingyu during their gym sessions.

Hence why Jeonghan is distracted. Because Seungcheol has decided to join their workout rather than standby and watch. Now, Jeonghan doesn’t like Seungcheol. He’s mean and terrifying and a total dick. Jeonghan dislikes him strongly...but he isn’t blind. He knows an attractive man when he sees one and though he’d only admit it over his dead body, Seungcheol is attractive. His short sleeves have been rolled up, leaving muscled arms on display and his sweat soaked shirt is clinging to the very obvious six pack and, yeah, maybe Jeonghan is staring a little.

They’re all sweaty - there’s no air conditioning in the room and this session is more intense than others - and Jeonghan hates how attractive he finds the gang leader. Mingyu is well-built and his shirt is also clinging to his stomach but Jeonghan’s eyes don’t linger on him. And he knows this. And he hates knowing this. When Mingyu finally allows him a break, Jeonghan has to force himself to look anywhere but at Seungcheol. He’s propped up against a wall, legs feeling like nothing more than dead weights, and Mingyu is doing situps a few steps away from him while Seungcheol has claimed a treadmill. His uniform pants fit him almost perfectly, something Jeonghan has never cared to pay attention to until now because he can see the way Seungcheol’s thighs flex as he jogs and his mouth goes dry. Jeonghan mentally curses the fact that there aren’t water bottles in this godforsaken facility cause he really doesn’t want to get up and find a water fountain.

The wandering of his eyes must be too apparent because Mingyu clears his throat a bit obnoxiously, waggling his brows when the brunet’s attention shifts to him. Jeonghan makes a face of disgust in response and Mingyu rolls his eyes. When Jeonghan peeks over at Seungcheol again, he almost squeaks, flushing - Seungcheol is already looking at him. His black hair is sweaty, plastered to his forehead and hanging low over his dark eyes. The stare has heat rushing south and Jeonghan ducks his head, suddenly much warmer.

“Fuck once and you can’t even look at him without turning red.” Mingyu scoffs beneath his breath, loud enough for Jeonghan to hear and throw him a scandalized glare.

“Shut up!”

The taller man shrugs. “Just telling it how I see it.”

Jeonghan clams up the second he enters the locker room area and hears several voices coming from the showers. Mingyu and Seungcheol are behind him and it takes a nudge from the former to get him out of the doorway. He takes stilted steps toward a bench, trying in vain to keep his breathing in check. He sits and bends to untie his shoes but his hands are so weak and shaky that he can’t get a proper grip on the shoelace. His heart rate is steadily increasing and he’s hyper aware of _everything -_ the murmur of voices, the gazes of Seungcheol and Mingyu. They’re watching him, they’re waiting for him and he can’t get his _fucking shoe untied-_

“Angel.”

Jeonghan doesn’t realize that he’s nearly hyperventilating and when he blinks, there’s wetness in his eyes. He clutches at the sides of his head, eyes screwed shut. He can’t do this. There’s too many people. He can’t do this. He can’t fight them. What if he’s cornered again? No, he can’t do this. He can’t do this. He can’t-

A gasp leaves the brunet as he’s yanked to his feet. Seungcheol is holding him by the wrists, deep voice cutting through the densing fog of panic. “Listen,” he barks and Jeonghan looks at him, forcing himself to focus on his words, desperately searching for something to keep himself grounded. “What did I tell you last week? Huh? We show no weakness and you are no exception. Pull yourself together. You’re only making yourself out to be a bigger target acting like this.”

Mingyu places a hand on his shoulder and his eyes are much gentler when Jeonghan meets them. “Deep breaths. You’re fine. We’re right here with you, aren’t we? You’re not alone, no one’s gonna touch you.”

Jeonghan nods jerkily, following his instructions and taking a deep breath. He does this a few more times until his breathing evens out and he’s not shaking as badly anymore. Mingyu pats his shoulder, offering a small smile before he moves away to undress. Seungcheol is still lightly holding his wrists and Jeonghan turns a reluctant eye back to the man.

“Get changed. Faster we get in there, the faster we get out.” Seungcheol says, firm yet gentle. Jeonghan nods again, tongue poking out to wet his lips. He doesn’t miss the way Seungcheol’s eyes follow the action.

The three undress in silence and a few people wander out of the showers. Jeonghan notices one of them looking him up and down but the guy seems to change his mind when he looks around and sees Seungcheol is also in the room. Jeonghan is wrapped in his towel, soap and essentials in hand, but his feet are stuck in place. He can’t find the courage to go near the shower entrance and stands there, head bowed and eyes shut as he tries to brace himself. Anxiety has his heart in its unwavering grasp and worst case scenarios are running rampant through his brain.

Caught up yet again in his thoughts, Jeonghan doesn’t register Seungcheol’s presence until he speaks. “Look at me,” Seungcheol says. “You’re gonna go in there, chin up, shoulders squared.” he lifts Jeonghan’s chin up and straightens his posture with one hand on his shoulder, the other at the small of his back. “No more of this cowering. No more making yourself look small, understood?”

“Yes, daddy.” His voice is tiny, meek, and Seungcheol cocks a brow, command silent yet loud and clear in Jeonghan’s head - _speak up._ He musters whatever bits of confidence he can and clears his throat to try again, louder this time. “Yes, daddy.”

“Good girl. You’re gonna walk in there first and you will not cower or shrink.”

Jeonghan bites his lip, wanting to object but the warning is there in Seungcheol’s eyes, his voice. It’d be in his best interest not to argue. So, Jeonghan glances wearily at the open entrance. He takes a deep breath, standing taller and rolling his shoulders back. He feels a bit ridiculous doing this in nothing but a towel and shower slippers but that’s beside the point. Mingyu gives him a nearly imperceptible nod when their eyes meet briefly and Jeonghan nods to himself.

 _‘I can do this. I don’t really have a choice, but I can do this. Fake it till you make it, right?’_ Seungcheol taps him lightly with the hand that’s still on his lower back to get him moving and Jeonghan starts walking to the entrance. The chatter from within grows louder the closer they get and Jeonghan’s heart is starting to race again. He takes slow breaths to keep himself calm, reminding himself that Seungcheol and Mingyu are right behind him and won’t let anyone touch him. He passes the threshold and there are eyes on him.

A flash of panic returns and Jeonghan gulps, his faux confidence quickly failing him. Instinctively, he starts to shrink into himself but the strange feeling, the urge to please Seungcheol hits him again and he straightens. Keeping his eyes on the tiled wall at the end of the stretch of showers, Jeonghan ignores the leering eyes, chin up and jaw clenched as he tries to keep his nerves under wraps. He reaches an empty stall away from the several other prisoners and much to his hidden relief, Seungcheol takes the stall next to him. He looks to the gangster, who smirks and gives him an approving nod. Something within Jeonghan preens and he fights back a smile.

Over the next few weeks, Seungcheol and Jeonghan focus on building the latter’s confidence. Seungcheol reprimands him every time he shrinks or cowers around the other prisoners, pulls his hair every time his head drops, pinches him when his shoulders hunch. He’s instructed to walk head high, shoulders squared, to walk into every room as if he owns it. It’s hard to remember at first; Jeonghan had fallen into the habit of keeping his head bowed, of making himself look smaller than he already is so as not to draw attention to himself and it’s a hard habit to break.

He feels awkward and insecure and his bottom lip is bitten raw from the amount of times he’s had to restrain himself from giving in to the urge to cower and hide. Jeonghan also has a habit of fidgeting with his hands that Seungcheol is also working to break - _“Fidgeting is a sign of weakness. It tells people you’re nervous and insecure. No matter how true it is, you never show it. You don’t let people see your insecurity.”_ \- and there are constant red indentions in the palms of his hand from his nails digging into the skin. It’s exhausting, initially, to put on this front. He’s always so tense that when he finally drops the facade at night when the lights go out, his shoulders and neck ache.

When Seungcheol isn’t around, whoever is with Jeonghan is to make sure he doesn’t “slack off”, so to speak. Minghao is gentle in his reminders when walking Jeonghan to the outdoor courtyard, simply tapping a finger beneath his chin; Mingyu firm in his when they’re in the gym while Seungcheol and JR have a meeting and a few dicks catcall and leer at Jeonghan, instructing him to keep his head up and shoulders back; Soonyoung an odd mix of both when they’re walking laps around the courtyard and Jeonghan accidentally locks eyes with Johnny.

That strange little part of him that wants to please Seungcheol only seems to grow throughout the weeks. He finds himself subconsciously seeking the gang leader’s approval at the day’s end, sitting attentively at the edge of his bed as he waits to be acknowledged. Sometimes, Seungcheol will reward him. After seeing how much of a liking he’d taken to it after the first time, he allows Jeonghan to cockwarm him during another meeting, the brunet content drifting hazily in and out of consciousness as he suckles on his mouthful. Another time, he fingers the brunet in the (luckily) empty showers, holding him up with one arm as lukewarm water pours over their naked bodies. Jeonghan had mostly definitely not expected his own reaction to _that_ , the sick mixture of excitement and fear of being seen that had his heart racing and cock leaking. The brunet was learning several things about himself, to say the least.

After a while, and to his own mild shock, confidence begins to come naturally to Jeonghan and he finds that he has to fake it less and less. The workouts and self-defense training help with building confidence as well. His arms, while nowhere near Mingyu or Seungcheol’s size or power, have started to develop some muscle and he’s secretly grateful for the consistent gym sessions. Though he does still hate working out with a passion, he will admit he doesn’t mind the result. Seungcheol sends Jeonghan to the breakfast line for the first time in three weeks but when he tells him to go, Jeonghan doesn’t get the stab of fear he did before. He isn’t scared or hesitant to get in line alone and if he internally preens at the look of approval from Seungcheol and the proud hug he receives from Ren when he returns to the table, trays in hand, nobody has to know.

**Monday, September 11** **Unidentified location - 7:17pm**

Seokmin finds Jisoo in the mostly cleared out meeting room, peering at one of the few remaining monitors sat upon a makeshift desk of cardboard boxes. The older male doesn’t turn away from whatever it is he’s looking at when Seokmin knocks lightly on the doorframe, acknowledging his presence with a distracted “Hm?”

“What’re you looking at, hyung?” Seokmin asks, strolling over to where Jisoo is sitting on a plastic folding chair, his usual armchair already having been packed and relocated. He places his hands on Jisoo’s shoulders, bending down to rest his chin on one of them. Jisoo, eyes still glued to the screen, turns his head just enough to be able to kiss Seokmin’s cheek. The younger hums, returning the action as he eyes the black and white monitor. The screen is split into four sections, showing images from the main cameras - the only ones they left up for safety reasons. The video quality isn’t the best, having steadily decreased and turned grainy after years and years of use, but they weren’t going to waste time installing new cams when they were leaving this location. The cams were old but they still did their job decently enough for the time being.

Seokmin immediately sees what it is that has Jisoo’s attention even though the male lifts a finger to point it out. There’s four of them. He can’t exactly make out their faces but he knows they’re the younger ones. How does he know? Only the younger ones were stupid enough to be this far from their own territory with no back up. He makes an irritated noise and Jisoo nods.

“Been watching them for the past ten minutes.” he mumbles, index finger tapping lightly at his bottom lip. “They’ve walked this stretch of road twelve times since they showed up. I don’t know what they’re looking for but I don’t think they’ve found whatever it is yet.”

“Think they’re looking for us?” Seokmin ponders, watching as the four figures stop walking, standing in a little clump as they look around. They’re confused.

“Would make sense considering this area is basically abandoned warehouses, but I don’t see why they would send the youngests alone. They’re barely of age and I would hate to have to kill them.” There’s no remorse or sympathy in his tone to backup the statement and Seokmin just shrugs.

“They’re aware that this could very well turn out a suicide mission if they don’t play their cards right. At least they should be, unless the brains of the group is rotting in prison.”

The four figures are talking lowly, too low for the cam mic to pick up and Jisoo grits his teeth. If only they had one of the new ones installed, he’d be able to hear every word. One of the four is still looking around, though two seem to be listening attentively to the last one, and Jisoo keeps his focus on him. His head is moving slowly, back and forth, carefully scanning from the ground, up, up, up - Jisoo inhales sharply. He’s looking directly at the cam.

Wanting to make sure he isn’t just seeing things, Jisoo clicks the middle button on the square keypad in his hand. The cam zooms in slowly, and though the picture is still grainy, it’s unmistakable. The boy is looking right into the cam with narrowed eyes.

“Min-ah, you see this too right?” Jisoo murmurs in disbelief. Seokmin “Uh huh”s and they share a quick wide-eyed glance. “He shouldn’t be able to see this cam. No one can. Minghao, Wonu, Jihoon and I are the only ones who know exactly where these are because they installed them and we run them. How in the hell is he looking directly into our cam?”

The boy is still staring into the cam as he slowly raises an arm to point at it and the duo realize what’s about to happen seconds before it does. “Shit, they’re about to-” the top left section of the screen goes black and Jisoo sighs heavily, facepalming and dragging his hand slowly down his face. “-shoot the camera. Great. Just great. This is fantastic.”

Seokmin nudges him as he sees the four enter into frame on the bottom right cam. “Um,” he supplies helpfully. “I think they’re planning to take out all our cams.” Just as he says it, the screen goes black and Jisoo is standing.

“Go get the others and tell Jihoon we’re under attack by Nct’s brat unit.”

“What in the fuck is going on?” Jihoon demands as soon as he reaches the meeting room. He storms over to the back wall and Jisoo side-steps out of his way. Jihoon leans over, glaring into the last working screen. The four are nowhere to be seen from this camera. “How in the hell did they take out three of our cams and why am I just being told?”

“One of them looked directly into the first cam and they shot it before we knew what was happening.” Jisoo informs him. “Took out the second one twice as fast but I guess they’re having trouble finding the last cam.”

Jihoon slams his fist on the makeshift table and Jisoo has to grab the monitor as it dents and tilts to one side, almost sending its single content sliding. His huff of “Seriously?” goes ignored as Jihoon whirls, pointing at Junhui. “Go above ground with Seungkwan. Keep an eye on those fucker’s but don’t let them see you.” they nod and hurry out of the room and he looks to Seokmin. “You better have that flying cam you’ve been dying to try ready to go cause I want you scoping the area for the rest of those bastards.” Seokmin’s eyes light up and he mock-salutes before turning heel to carry out the order. “Jisoo hyung, keep an eye on them until they find the cam and tell me the second they do. Chan, come with me. We’re going to weaponry.”

Chan follows the fuming man as they head further below ground to the weapons room. Most of their guns and knives have already been relocated and none of them go around unarmed, but there are a few things here that they kept specifically for this type of situation. They’re all in a single crate kept next to the entrance for convenience. Jihoon kneels and takes the lid off.

“Get three vests,” he instructs the younger male as he starts pulling out a few things. Chan jogs over to one of the walls and places his hand on the flat surface. There’s a faint beep and the wall slides open to reveal the once full gear wall. Now remains a few bullet proof vests that they purposefully hadn’t packed yet. Chan grabs three and jogs back to Jihoon, dropping two at his side and pulling the third over his head. Jihoon puts one of the remaining two on and starts filling the extra pockets with his favorite throwing knives and a few explosives. Chan picks up his flame revolver and checks the mag, smiling when he sees that it’s full. Perfect. He also grabs a few knives, then busies himself with prepping Junhui’s vests.

They finish just as Jisoo’s voice crackles through Jihoon’s watch. “They found the last cam.”

“We’re ready.” he says into the device. “Update on DK with the flying cam?”

“He’s not getting anything, but that doesn’t mean those fucker’s aren’t around here somewhere.”

“What about the jackasses who blew our cams?” Jihoon nods to the door and Chan follows after him, extra vest in hand. They make their way to the hidden stairs, JIhoon waiting impatiently for the eye scanner to recognize him and allow them access. They didn’t have time for this.

“Well, they definitely know this is our building now but they’re making no move to enter.” Jisoo responds and another voice joins.

“One of them is on the phone - I think it’s the one who pointed out the cams. The rest are circling him so it’s safe to say he’s of some importance and they’re ready for an attack.” comes Seungkwan’s voice.

“Armed?” Chan asks.

“Visibly, no, but one of them keeps reaching for his waistband.” Seungkwan laughs, short and unamused. “Paranoid little shit is giving himself away.”

“Van!” Seokmin’s voice is urgently hushed but staticy. 

“What?” Jisoo asks.

“Van!” his voice is louder this time, blasting through the watches. By this point, Jihoon and Chan have reached ground level where Seungkwan and Junhui are in the open warehouse. “Nct van to be specific. Pulled up three blocks away but no one is getting out.”

“The kids don’t seem to be leaving,” Junhui says confusedly. “They’re still standing out front.”

“Anyone else on the street, DK?” Jihoon inquires.

“Nope. Just these four-wait. What the fuck?” Seokmin’s voice cuts out.

“DK? DK? Dokyeom-ah!” Jihoon shouts. Nothing. “Fuck. Moon,” he calls and Junhui looks away from his peephole. Chan holds the vest up with a slight shake and Junhui strides over to take it, pulling it on over his head. He checks the pockets and nods, satisfied with what he finds inside.

“Don’t go outside.” Seokmin’s voice returns. “I’m getting activity from the warehouse two building down. Someone is definitely in there but I can’t say how many. I don’t know when they got here but it had to be last night when we were all gone. That’s the only way they could’ve gotten in there without us noticing till just now. I’m coming down.”

“All of you get down to the meeting room.” Jisoo says. They do as told and soon all six men are in the meeting room. Chan runs down to the weaponry to retrieve the crate and remaining vests. Seokmin waits until he returns to fill them in on what his cam caught.

“So, I was about to come down sooner, after seeing the van, but then I saw movement in one of the windows, top floor. Got my cam closer but didn’t see anything else, though there is definitely at least one person in there. Don’t know who or how long they’ve been there, but like I said, they probably showed up last night when we were gone.”

“Which means they saw us come in here.” Jihoon mutters. “So they found us.”

“Well, why aren’t they attacking?” Junhui asks, adjusting his vest. “There’s no way they don’t know we’re in here.”

“Yeah, well, they also know we’re smart.” Jisoo sighs. “Which explains why those brats were walking up and down the street. They were looking for all of our cams. Didn’t find any cause we took them down so they must’ve been planning to call the rest of the group. But one of them somehow saw and pointed out our four most well hidden cams.”

“I call dibs on the bullet through that one’s head,” Jihoon growls. There’s a resounding _BANG!_ from upstairs as the warehouse door is kicked in and everyone has a weapon in hand in .5 seconds. Jihoon cracks his neck as he heads to the door. “These motherfucker’s want a fight, they’ll get one, and I’ve been itching to blow someone the fuck up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you babes for waiting oh so patiently (even though I'm a terrible person who took nearly four weeks to update) and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to leave a comment, I do try to reply to all of them and if you haven't, please considering dropping a kudos! They're both huge sources of motivation and I love hearing y'all's thoughts  
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Bye babes!!!


	5. Run-ins and Fallouts - Monday, September 11 7:50pm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's almost been a month and it's currently 2am as I am posting this and I have to be up early today so that's fun (kill me). Sorry for such a long wait but at least it's finally here, right? I've been struggling so so so much with motivation but I'm happy that I finally managed to finish this. Thank you to everyone who waited so patiently and I hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Ignore errors/mistakes, I'll edit later 
> 
> Shoutout once again to my lovely, MitchelleAO, cause she is so very helpful

“Dino, Moon, you stay with me. Diva, DK, and Joshua - split off and take our special guest entrance. Diva, stay back when they come out and wait for my cue.” Jihoon instructs as the group marches out of the meeting room. There’s a murmur of response as the three break off as told, a faint beep sounding as they enter into a second hall.

“Now,” Jihoon says when his little group reaches the staircase from before. He stops, turning to face Chan and Junhui. “They’re gonna try one of two things: ambush or openfire. Dino, the second the door opens at the top, I want you firing your flame revolver at the walls directly opposite and adjacent to us. If you hit someone along the way - good, but that’s not your priority. Moon, take my left. Still got your masks on, right?”

The two men pinch at an area just beneath their chins and pull enough to show that they did in fact still have the clear, skin-tight material on. Jihoon nods and faces the stairs again. He inhales deeply, closing his eyes for a few seconds. There's a hand on his shoulder and he gives Chan a single nod when the younger quirks a brow at him.

"I'm ready."

"Why can't I ever be part of the action?" Seungkwan sulks as he, Jisoo and Seokmin stand at the “special guest entrance”. He knows exactly why he has to be the one to sit back and wait but it doesn’t stop him from complaining about it.

“Because, if anything happens to your pretty little face-” Seungkwan grimaces at Jisoo’s mocking coo, “-Vernon will literally rip our heads off. You know this, Diva, so just sit tight and keep an ear out for your cue.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the younger male grumbles, stepping back as Jisoo reaches for the wall. “Make this quick though, I have the attention span of a goldfish.”

Jihoon gives a whispered countdown through his watch. “Three...two...one.”

The doors on either side of the warehouse fly open and there are immediate shouts of surprise from their intruders. There are two muted thumps as Chan fires two shots at the instructed walls and the four are standing doe-eyed with their hands up.

“Oh, cute. You’re trying to play innocent.” Jisoo says. “Drop the act, we know you’re armed.”

“We’re not, really.” One of them tries. If Jihoon remembers correctly, this one is the youngest of them all. ‘ _What a pity’,_ he thinks. _‘Getting their kids killed cause they’re fucking cowards.’_

“How did you little fucks know where our cams were?” Jihoon demands, gun aimed at the head of the one directly responsible for spotting the cameras. The kid has the audacity to _smile_ at Jihoon and he’s mere seconds away from pulling the trigger.The youngest shifts to block him from view, staring Jihoon down with what he assumes is supposed to be an intimidating glare. The kid touches his side, side-steps to reveal himself. “Answer me, punk.”

“Hyung,” the word is said mockingly with an innocently tilted head. “A magician can’t reveal all his secrets.”

“Drop your weapons!”

“Well shit…” Chan mutters as several other Nct members come running into the warehouse. He glances at Jihoon and raises a brow. He gets a small nod and huffs. Alright, so they’re gonna play along. He lowers his flame revolver and sees Jihoon and Junhui lower their guns as well as Jisoo and Seokmin on the other side of the room.

“I said drop them.” One of them repeats. “Like, on the floor.”

“Mark, right?” Jisoo says, chuckling when several guns are turned to him. He puts his hands up with a sarcastic quirk of his lip. “Now, now. No need to shoot your load just cause I remember your name. You’re in charge of these four, right? The jackasses who took out our cams?”

“He’s the one who was in the building.” Seokmin supplies.

“Meaning the rest of you dumbasses were in that van.” Junhui muses, putting his hands up too. “Now, take a look at us. Do you really think ten to five is a fair fight? Coulda at least evened out our odds, hm?”

Mark scoffs. “Yeah, cause that makes sense. Put the fucking guns down before you lose a knee.” then, as a mocking afterthought, “hyung.”

“How rude of you all to come barging into _our_ base, in _our_ territory, making commands.” Jihoon says as he leans down to lay his gun on the floor, the other members following suit. “Kids these days have no manners, do they? First you start trouble by killing our cams, then you kick in our front door and hold us at gunpoint? So rude.”

“Shut up.” one of the younger ones says. Jihoon turns a venomous stare on him and he ducks away. Junhui puts his arm out toward Jihoon as if to silently tell him “ _don’t do it.”_

“You two,” Mark gestures at Seokmin and Jisoo. “Over there with the rest. Try something and I’ll blow your head off.”

Jisoo flashes a sickly sweet smile. “Promise?”

Jihoon’s lip twitches and he has to school his expression to keep from smiling. These guys really are idiots. “Our guns are down. Happy?”

“Take off the vests.”

“Ah, ah, ah, let’s not be greedy now. You just said to put down the guns. Vests weren’t part of that deal.” Junhui counters.

“Yeah, well, we’re not taking our chances. Vests off.”

“Or what?”

“We’ve got you cornered AND outnumbered.” Mark growls, obviously frustrated with their antics. “You’ll be dead before you can try anything.”

Jihoon hums, slowly lowering his arms and taking hold of his shoulder straps. He looks between the Nct members, lips pursing slightly as if in thought. Then, he locks eyes with Mark and just watches him. Takes in the messy brown-blonde locks atop his head, the pinch between his brows and narrowed eyes, the way his hands waver ever so slightly as he holds his gun, the red flush of his neck. And he smiles. It’s a slow, unnerving curve of his lips and he can see the second Mark’s blood runs cold. “Wanna bet?”

The explosion of the two walls Chan shot earlier sends the unsuspecting men flying with the force of it and screams accompany the cacophony of crumbling concrete and burning wood. The other walls begin to cave in and there’s a cloud of rubble and smoke as the old warehouse starts to come down. Jihoon snatches up his gun as he and the other run. There’s another series of muffled explosions as Seungkwan sets off the bombs in the lower levels of the warehouse, extirpating the old meeting and weapons rooms as well as their past sleeping quarters.

Jisoo counts heads before ushering the boys to their own vans. “Let’s go before anyone else shows up.” his head is on a swivel as the younger members pile into the middle and back seats, Jihoon having already claimed the passenger side. Just as he shuts the door, a gunshot sounds behind him and a bullet ricochets off the side of the car, just barely missing him. Jisoo whirls, ready to fire back but the kid is already crumpling to the ground, dead, before he even pulls the trigger. He turns to see Jihoon leaning outside the passenger window, gun still raised and a cocky, satisfied smile on his face.

“Told you I called the bullet through that one’s head.”

**Tuesday, September 12** **Morning roll call - 8:39am, Jeonghan**

“-due to complaints and protests across the city, the conditions of solitary confinement have been changed. Anyone punished with solitary confinement will now only receive a maximum of three days and, under new law, can no longer be placed in confinement more than twice in the span of six months. In confinement, inmates are allowed a book of their choice, a pencil and a piece of paper as opposed to nothing. As for meals-”

Jeonghan yawns silently for the sixth time in the span of eight minutes, completely tuning out the guard and announcements. Someone nudges him and when he looks to see who it is, he’s met with a curious gaze from Minghao. He flushes instantly and shakes his head, giving a little thumbs up. He’s tired, yes, but the last thing he needs is to be questioned because the reason for his exhaustion is right next to him with a hand on his sore lower back. He attempts to stop his next yawn, pressing his lips together and trying to force it back. Seungcheol’s lips brushing the shell of his ear make him jump slightly and the gang leader chuckles softly, the sound sending a shiver down Jeonghan’s spine.

“Can’t wake up, Angel?” comes his rumbling, teasing voice and Jeonghan wills away the rising heat in his cheeks. Seungcheol’s hand travels further down to grope his ass and Jeonghan chokes back a surprised squeak. He squirms but doesn’t try to pull away and Seungcheol hums his satisfaction. “You better not fall asleep during your training, understood?”

“Yes daddy,” Jeonghan whispers back as the guard dismisses them from the courtyard. Seungcheol gives his ass two hard pats that make him stumble a bit from the force of them.

"Good girl. Mingyu, Hoshi and I have a meeting with Nu'est so I'll be stealing your best friend for a while. If you're going anywhere, The8 will go with you."

Jeonghan doesn’t go anywhere. Once they’ve all squeezed back into the building, Seungcheol, Mingyu and Soonyoung head to the left handed staircase to get to JR and Minhyun’s shared cell while Minghao follows Jeonghan to his and Seungcheol’s cell. Jeonghan sits on his bunk with a tiny wince that he hopes Minghao doesn’t see. Said male claims the desk chair, sitting with the back facing Jeonghan, arms crossed over the top and chin resting on them.

They sit for a bit in semi-awkward silence where Jeonghan wishes he had better people skills cause he has no clue how to initiate a conversation. He knows nothing about the cotton candy haired man aside from the fact that he’s in a gang and has probably killed someone and neither of those seem to be a great conversation starter. He can feel the other watching him, his own eyes trained on the blue fabric of his pants as he rakes his mind, trying to think of something, _anything_ they can talk about instead of just sitting in silence for the next however long.

“Um,” Jeonghan clears his throat and Minghao raises a curious brow when he glances over at him. “I noticed this when I first came and uh...I’ve been wanting to ask.”

“Don’t be so nervous,” Minghao says, ever so soft-spoken in his soothing yet dangerous way. “Coups hyung isn’t here. You can speak freely with me.”

Jeonghan nods, biting at his bottom lip and picking at a loose thread. He meets Minghao’s eye. “Why do you always put his tray away after meals? And, well - before he made me start doing it - why were you the one getting his tray?”

Minghao hums lightly, face unreadable. “You’re observant.”

His tone is impossible to decipher and Jeonghan doesn’t know if he should apologize for his observant...ness. “Sorry?”

This gets him a barely audible huff of amusement. “It’s a good thing. You should be observant, especially in a place like this.” he murmurs and Jeonghan feels like his words double as a warning. “As for your question, I’m...indebted, in a sense, to Coups hyung.”

Jeonghan tilts his head, brows furrowing. “Indebted? How are you indebted to him?”

“That part’s a bit more personal.” Jeonghan’s about to apologize but Minghao shakes his head. “You would end up learning about it eventually and I’m fine with sharing since you asked.”

 _‘Eventually?’_ Jeonghan wonders. The thought is pushed to the back of his mind as he focuses his full attention on Minghao and his story.

“I was the last to join Seventeen, though I hadn’t exactly been looking to become a member of a gang. I didn’t even know what a Seventeen was.” Minghao lets out a small, embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t speak a word of korean, either.”

Jeonghan becomes even more visibly confused and Minghao smiles. It’s small but genuine and the duality is there yet again because how can someone with such an innocent smile hurt another person?

“I’ll take your confusion as a compliment. I’m from China.” he explains. “I came to korea...seven years ago, now? Yeah, I’m pretty sure it's been seven years at this point. Like many people when they up and move to a completely different country, I was running.”

“What were you running from?” Jeonghan backtracks almost immediately. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“It’s fine. I was a teenager, 15, thought I was all grown up and was dead-set on what I wanted to do with my life. Convinced that I would become a famous b-boy and dancer.” Minghao shakes his head at himself, scoffing. “Obviously, my parents didn’t agree a single bit and they were so against me chasing my dream that they became overwhelmingly controlling. They had me on a curfew that gave me no time to dance, put me into these stupid business classes that piled me with extra work, made me go to work with them so I could see what a “real job” was like, and basically cut me off from all of my friends. So, I did what any reasonable, pissed off teenager would do. Hacked into their bank account, took about...half a million? - in cash, because I’m not an idiot - then got on the first plane to South Korea.”

**_Seven years ago - July 7, somewhere in Seoul_ **

Everyone knows that the best advice you can be given as a tourist, is to not appear as a tourist. Especially in big cities where you are likely to be mugged or attacked. Minghao wishes he could follow this advice and be less subtle about how lost he is but he’s positive he sticks out like a sore thumb. Especially in this busy city with its constantly bustling streets and sidewalks filled with teenagers laughing with their friends or walking quickly with headphones, business men and women with their suits and clacking heels, and everything in between. It’s loud, he doesn’t understand any of the street signs, and in hindsight, he really should’ve studied Korean to be more prepared.

But that was honestly the last thing on his mind when he planned his escape from his hellhole of a home. He’d just wanted to get away as quickly as possible. So he had. Now, here he is, five days after landing and stranded in the middle of Seoul. His vaguely formed plan had consisted of finding a cheap place to stay and not starving. Perhaps he should’ve included a translator and map of the fucking city to that plan. He did, in fact, manage to find a cheap place to stay, though the conversation with the room renter had been frustratingly confusing and long because neither of them could understand what the other was saying but they figured it out after thirty minutes of useless banter and a translator app that was somewhat questionable but did its job well enough.

Minghao is trying to familiarize himself with the city around his new little home and figures that starting bit by bit, only exploring a street or two at a time, is his best bet. So that’s what he’s been doing for the past four days. Choosing a direction, walking it for a few minutes, then retracing his steps home. There are several alleys and side roads surrounding him as well and he’s trying to memorize them but it’s much harder to do so with a lack of street signs and buildings that all look the same to his unfamiliar eyes. And he hates to say it but, after a few wrong turns down said alleys - he’s lost.

His head is on a swivel, eyes squinted as he tries to find something, _anything_ even remotely familiar to know where he might be. Minghao huffs out a breath, mentally facepalming. He couldn’t be anymore obvious about not knowing where he is considering literally no one else walking around him is looking back and forth like they don’t know where they are. He stops after a few more minutes of aimless wandering to gather his bearings and quietly mourn not having a phone. Standing with his back against the side wall of some tiny cafe, Minghao closes his eyes and takes several slow breaths. If only he knew how to ask for directions.

***

“It took me an embarrassing amount of time to get back to my home. I’d started exploring around 4 and the sun was starting to set by the time I figured out how to get there.”

Jeonghan can’t help but chuckle along with Minghao as he tells his story. “Wow,” he breathes. “I can’t imagine how that must be. Living in a country with no way to understand the language. And as a teenager? That’s even more terrifying.”

“Yeah, well, it gets worse.” Minghao’s smile turns a little bitter. “But, this is the part where I meet the guys. And, you know, the entire reason I’m telling you this.”

Jeonghan frowns at his change in tone. “I can’t imagine this next part is good.”

Minghao simply shrugs. “It isn’t. Just as a bit of a preface, I’d been running into some trouble with a few guys - who I would later find out to be members of Nct - for a while. I’d say the fucker’s started messing with me maybe a month into me being here.”

“What did you do for them to bother you?” 

“Nothing. You should know this by now, they don’t need to be provoked to harass you.” a look crosses Jeonghan’s face and he knows exactly what the brunet is thinking about. “I was scrawny, new to the country, and barely spoke korean. That was enough for me to become a target. Normally, I would outrun them whenever they tried to corner me but fast forward six months into me moving, and they finally managed to catch me.”

**_Six and a half years ago - January 29, somewhere in Seoul_ **

Minghao has always been somewhat of a cautious person. He’s always been observant of his surroundings - even at a young age. He’s always been good at reading rooms and people and it’s saved his ass more times that he can count, whether physically or confrontation wise. That being said, he’s not entirely sure how this happened. 

He’s walking home from his part time job. It’s late, it’s dark, and there are much less people around. For him, it’s perfect. He prefers night time here because while there’s still the buzz of fast paced urgency that comes with living in the city, it’s much more calm after sunset. Sure, there are still people bustling about, still cars and taxis zooming down the street, but there’s a sense of peace that comes with walking here at night.

He should’ve seen this coming. He _normally_ would’ve seen this coming. It was bound to happen, really, considering the route he takes through poorly lit alleys and side roads to reach the quaint little place he happily calls home. So, yeah, he should’ve seen this type of thing coming but his guard had been down this night. 

Minghao is about two minutes away from home when they jump him. There’s four of them and they’re all armed. His arms are grabbed first and forced behind his back and it takes a moment for him to figure out what’s going on. Immediately, he starts to fight, kicking out at the men in front of him and yanking at his arms. He throws his head back and his arms are freed seconds later. He manages to land a few good punches when someone else reaches for him and is ready to run when a sharp pain shoots through his leg as a hard boot kicks him in the back of his knee and he hits the ground.

***

“They beat me halfway to death and I was convinced I was gonna die from some form of bleeding - internal or external, it didn’t matter because they cut and kicked me enough for either to be a possibility.”

There’s a nasty swirl of fear, disgust and anger in Jeonghan’s stomach as he listens, features twisting into a grimace. His heart pounds anxiously at the thought of what those Nct members were about to do to him in the showers, wonders distantly if they would’ve beat him like they did Minghao after they’d had their way with him. It makes him nauseous and he shakes the thought away, focusing back on Minghao. “What,” he has to pause for the wave of anxiety that rolls through his chest. He’s quite literally on the edge of his seat, fingers gripping the side of his concrete bed so hard his knuckles whiten. “What happened next?”

“Seungcheol hyung happened.” Minghao says, his small smile returning. “Now, they were already enemies with Nct before I even came into the picture and as it turns out, where I lived was some sort of neutral ground between the two gangs. Neither of them necessarily had claim of that area at the time and they had quite a few fights there because Seventeen’s short temper mixed with Nct’s arrogant ignorance and neutral ground never ended well. Luckily for me, hyung had been passing by and heard me getting the life beat out of me. I didn’t see much cause I was barely conscious and one of my eyes was swollen but he single handedly fought and chased them off.

“He knelt next to me and asked me what my name was. Thankfully, that was one of few phrases I could recognize and understand and I managed to reply in my broken korean which was an instant giveaway that I wasn’t from here. He pulled out his phone and called someone but by the time anyone showed up, I had passed out.”

**_Six and a half years ago - January 31, medical center in Seoul_ **

The second he opens his eyes, Minghao panics cause he has no idea where he is. He’s in pain, underneath a blanket and alone in a strange room - someone coughs. Scratch that, he’s in pain, underneath a blanket and _not_ alone in a strange room. Minghao tries to sit up but freezes with a pained grunt, his entire upper body protesting the attempted action and whoever is in here with him speaks.

“Careful. You have two broken ribs.”

Minghao huffs slightly, closing his eyes as he lays back down. But something clicks and he reopens his eyes, actually managing to sit up this time, because he just understood whoever spoke. He wraps an arm around his torso, ignoring the screaming pain in favor of scanning the room. It isn’t big, consisting only of the bed he’s on, a table of medical supplies, and a few chairs, one of which is occupied by a smiling ravenhead.

“You speak chinese?” Minghao demands, his voice unexpectedly raspy, throat burning from the effort of talking.

“Considering I’m from China, yes, I would hope so.” the ravenhead replies snarkily. “Coups hyung was right in his guess, then. You’re also from China.”

“Coups?”

“The guy who saved your ass a couple nights ago. Speaking of which, he said you got jumped by some mutts from Nct. Those jackasses attack people just for the hell of it, I swear.”

“What in the hell is an Nct?”

Instead of answering, the ravenhead merely stares back with a tilted head and blank expression. The silence stretches on for at least two minutes and Minghao grits his teeth.

“Why are you just staring at me?”

“You’re cute.”

It’s Minghao’s turn to stare, caught completely off guard by the blunt statement. The ravenhead smiles.

“I’m sure you’re prettier without the bruised face and swollen eye, but my statement still stands.”

“...thank you?”

“Oh! You don’t even know my name. I’m known as Moon.”

“Why?”

“Well, I can’t just go around telling people my real name in a gang.”

“You’re in a gang?”

“Yeah.” Moon says nonchalantly, smiling as if this were a totally normal topic of conversation. “And, uh, so are you. At least, you will be pretty soon.”

Minghao slowly lays back down, suddenly exhausted. He shakes his head. “You’re insane.”

Moon giggles and Minghao, despite himself, finds himself fighting a smile. “And you have so much to learn.”

***

“Wait, wait, wait. So you were forced to join Seventeen?” Jeonghan asks incredulously.

“Eh, I wouldn’t really say forced. After all, Coups hyung did save my life and handle my medical expenses. Joining Seventeen and working for him was the least I could do to repay him especially because he didn’t have to help me. And before you ask, no. I didn’t and don’t regret joining for a second.”

Jeonghan splutters, defensive. “I wasn’t-”

“You were. You’re very easy to read, Jeonghan-ssi.” Minghao watches as his cheeks color with embarrassment at his observation. “I know you and Coups hyung didn’t have the best meeting and he’s not very nice to you, but I know him. We all know him. Just as you have your reasons to hate him, we have our reasons to like him. I’m not justifying his treatment toward you, but just as we don’t know your entire story, you don’t know ours.”

**Call Booth 9 - 3:09pm, Vernon**

“Nonie~”

“Someone sounds like they’re in a good mood,” Vernon smiles at Seungkwan’s use of an old nickname. “You blow something up recently?”

“Mm, you know me too well.”

“Well, you did become a bit of a pyromaniac because of Woozi hyung. What’d you blow up pretty baby?”

“Our old base.”

“Oh? And when was this?”

“Yesterday.”

“Do I want to know why?”

“Oh, definitely. Nct dispatched their brat unit who somehow managed to pick off our four main cams.”

Vernon pauses. “Wait...wait, the main four? As in the ones only Woozi, Joshua, The8, and Wonu know - well, knew - the exact location of?”

“Yep!” Seungkwan says in an overly enthusiastic voice. He drops it instantly, annoyance and irritation laced throughout his next words. “One of them literally pointed to each and every one of them and then someone else shot them. To make a long, frustrating story short, several Nct mutts waltzed into the warehouse like they owned the place, predictably made them put their weapons down, then I heard my cue and hit the buttons. One of them somehow managed to follow us out - the camera spotter, I believe - and Woozi hyung put a bullet between his eyes when he tried to shoot Joshua hyung. Eventful day, really. Finally got to use some of the explosives we’d been saving.”

“Look at you guys having fun while the rest of us are locked up. That doesn’t seem very fair, Kwan-ah.” Vernon faux sulks, jutting his lip for special effect though his boyfriend can’t see. Seungkwan giggles and he breaks character to chuckle to himself. “Make sure you save some for us, yeah?”

“Of course we will! You guys have your own little special reserved pile.” Seungkwan murmurs cheekily. “We wouldn’t dream of wasting those ones.”

**Saturday, September 16** **Visitor Room 5 - 9:00am, Jeonghan**

Jeonghan beams at his parents the second he sees them. He practically skips to the chair, hurriedly taking his seat. He still wishes he could hug them but until that day comes, this’ll do. His father’s eyes regard him, that ever so gentle smile already on his lips and only growing wider.

“My son,” he croons, sounding relieved. “You look much better than the last time we came. You’re not covered in bruises.”

 _Not that you can see._ “I’m doing fine, dad. Really.” is his immediate response. It’s not entirely a lie nor is it entirely a truth but he doesn’t want his poor father worrying more about him than he already is. And today, he’s oddly in a good mood.

“Are you sure?” his mother asks and when Jeonghan looks at her, her face isn’t its normally carefully constructed mask void of emotion, but she looks genuinely concerned. Jeonghan smiles, nodding.

“I’m sure, mom.”

“No one’s tried to hurt you? You’ve been careful when showering?” she persists.

Jeonghan bites the inside of his mouth as a flash of disgusted fear goes through him, gone as soon as it comes. “I have... friends. They’re training me and teaching me self-defense and have protected me from the other inmates.”

His mother’s look turns skeptical. “Friends? In here? Sweetheart, you shouldn’t befriend criminals. They’ll only corrupt you!”

On any other day, in any other circumstance, Jeonghan would’ve believed his mother. Agreed with her even. But instead, he gets defensive. “Did you not hear anything I said past “friends”? Mom, they’re teaching me how to _defend myself_ in here. They’re training me to build muscle so I’m not just some helpless pretty boy anyone can take advantage of because others have tried.” he contends. “Sure, they might be criminals but if it weren’t for them, I would’ve been raped and probably beaten half to death in the showers because I had been cornered.”

His parents stare back in shock and Jeonghan wonders for a moment why he became so unexpectedly and fiercely defensive over gangsters. He slumps back in his chair, trails his eyes over the S.COUPS inked into his skin. A silence falls as the words sink in for all three of them. Jeonghan hasn’t really thought about the day of his attempted assault. He can’t without that horrible panic and fear resurfacing. But now that he thinks over what he just said, he really would’ve been taken advantage of had it not been for Minghao hearing his desperate scream. They’d essentially saved his life because God knows what they would’ve done after they finished with him.

Jeonghan is the one to break the silence, his voice much softer as he returns his gaze to his parents. “You can’t just write them off as criminals. Yes, they’re in prison but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good people.”

“Han-”

“Mother, what do you think people at your work view me as?”

Mrs. Yoon frowns deeply. “I’ve told them of your innocence.”

“And they believe you?”

Her silence tells him everything.

“I was framed. I know this. You guys know this. The bastard whose fault this is knows this. But now and even when I’m released from this place, what will other people see me as?”

“Jeonghan,” his father starts and Jeonghan shakes his head.

“To everyone outside of these walls, I am nothing more than a criminal. I will be nothing more than a criminal. They don’t care how good of a person I am because to them I might as well have the word “criminal” tattooed across my forehead.” bitterness seeps into his tone and he thinks he fully understands now, Soonyoung’s angry speech a few weeks back. “All I ask is that you not treat me like a child hanging out with friends you don’t approve of. Because they’re the reason I’m ok.”

He turns as the door behind him opens with a squeak, a guard poking his head in. “Time’s up.”

Jeonghan nods curtly and gives his parents a tight lipped smile. “I love you guys.”

His mother doesn’t respond but his father’s lips curve into a rueful smile. “We love you too, Han.”

**Morning leisure - 9:40am, Jeonghan and Ren**

Ren narrows his eyes at Jeonghan as the brunet enters his and Baekho’s shared cell. He hops down from the top bunk, crossing his arms across his chest. “What happened?”

“Huh?” Jeonghan is slightly taken back by the demand. 

“You look like someone kicked your puppy. What happened with your visit? No show? Did they turn on you? Forgotten birthday? Speaking of which, when IS your birthday?”

Jeonghan laughs at the onslaught of questions and how Ren, predictably, derails off topic as he usually does. “They came. No, they didn’t turn on me; No, they didn’t forget my birthday. It hasn’t come yet. It’s in October.”

“Then why do you look so upset, Hannie?”

“I’m not upset. Just...thinking? I guess? I dunno what’s going on with me, honestly. I’m conflicted, for lack of better words.” Jeonghan sighs, lowering himself onto the bottom bunk. Ren sits next to him, leaning back on his hands.

“Care to share? We got all morning.”

Jeonghan nibbles on his bottom lip, debating. He can barely make sense of his own thoughts, much less explain them to another person. He’s thinking of a way to change the topic but luckily the universe is favoring him today because three people come barging into the room, their loud greetings making Jeonghan jump. Ren hardly reacts and instead smiles at the newcomers, none of whom Jeonghan recognizes.

“Rennie~,” one of them sing-songs. He has fluffy black hair that bounces as he skips over to the blond and plops into his lap like he belongs there. He beams at Jeonghan, his bright eyes and nearly tangible energy resembling an overly energetic puppy. “Who’s your friend? How rude of you to not introduce us to the new pretty boy.”

Ren pushes the male off his lap with an exaggerated grunt and roll of his eyes. “You’re too heavy to sit on me, Baekhyunnie hyung.”

Baekhyun gasps dramatically, jaw dropping in offense. “How dare you? I am not heavy!”

“And _I_ am not meant to be sat on.”

Another of the three scoffs, the tallest of them all. “We get it, you’re a bottom.”

“Exactly,” Ren responds snobbily, quirking a brow. “The only time I’m on top is when I’m ri-”

“Moving on!” Jeonghan exclaims, cheeks burning from his friends' tactless words. The other four laugh at his reaction. “You are so shameless.”

“I just tell the truth, Hannie.” Ren giggles innocently before gesturing to the three. “Anyway, these are my three closest friends from Exo. Baekhyun hyung, Sehun hyung, and Minseokkie hyung - but he goes by Xiumin.” 

The name sounds vaguely familiar to Jeonghan who racks his brain trying to remember why. A lightbulb goes off in his head and he realizes that Ren had mentioned Exo the first time they spoke with each other in the rec room. A few of their members had ended up in a similar situation to Seventeen and Nu’est, set up by an informant or something.

“I’m Jeonghan,” he introduces himself with a tiny wave and Minseok - Xiumin? - smiles at him.

“Seungcheol claim you?” He simply pulls down his sleeve to reveal the tattoo and Minseok nods. “As expected. He has a thing for pretty boys.”

For some unknown reason, this statement rubs Jeonghan the wrong way, an unpleasant thrill going through his body as he loses control over his facial expressions for a split second and frowns. That split second is enough for them all to pick up on and Baekhyun “oo”s childishly. ‘ _He’s just as bad as Ren,'_ Jeonghan thinks.

“Does someone have a crush?”

“Crush? What are you, twelve?” Sehun says judgmentally from where he’s taken claim of Ren’s bunk above them.

“No, I don’t have a crush.” Jeonghan scoffs, butting in before Baekhyun can retaliate.

“He hates Cheollie hyung’s guts.” Ren adds helpfully. “He’d cut off his dick before he fell for him.”

“His own dick or Cheol hyung’s dick?”

“Yeah, I was wondering that too.”

Ren looks at Jeonghan as if analyzing him before shrugging and saying, “Either or.”

Jeonghan grimaces. “Dear God, can we talk about...anything but _this_?”

Mercifully, they do change the subject, and the conversation becomes more serious as Minseok explains the reason behind their visit. Nct and B.A.P seem to be planning something, at least that’s what it looks like to Kris - who Jeonghan learns is one of two leaders of Exo. He’d been keeping a close eye on the two groups, taking note of their supposedly discreet interactions.

“He’s not entirely sure what’s up but he has a bad feeling about it and his bad feelings tend to end up being correct so,” Minseok informs. “He sent us to give Nu’est and Seventeen a heads up. I’ve done some snooping for myself and those Nct mutts seem pretty restless to me so I’d also keep an eye on those assholes specifically.”

Jeonghan feels like he’s intruding - like he’s hearing things that he shouldn’t. After all, he’s not in either of these groups and he’s not sure his affiliation with them means much. But they hadn’t told him to leave either so here he sits, still next to Ren with an expression that reminds Jeonghan of that glimpse he’d seen his first day. That duality was at play yet again and Jeonghan tries to ignore the niggling little voice in the back of his head that tells him _he’s in a gang for a reason._

At the same time, he has this sinking feeling that all of this has to do with him and the attack in the showers. It sends a icy shiver down his spine and he really hopes he’s just being paranoid.

**Monday, September 25** **Visitor Room 7 - 3:27pm, Soonyoung**

“Soonyoung, if you zone out one more time I swear I’m gonna get up and walk out.” Jihoon threatens with an irritated scowl. Soonyoung pouts.

“I’m just admiring the view, Ji. You’re so pretty I can’t help but get distracted.” he reasons and Jihoon deadpans.

“You’ve seen my face nearly everyday for the last nine years.”

“And you only look better with each passing year.”

At this, Jihoon falters. Normally, he’d have some smartass retort but he merely sighs. His scowl melts as his face softens, his shoulders drooping a bit. “Are you being all sappy because our anniversary is coming up?”

“Maybe. We’ve always done something and this time I won’t even be able to kiss you.” Soonyoung sulks, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “This is our first anniversary apart.”

“Our only,” Jihoon corrects, internally preening when Soonyoung lights up. “Now, if we could get back on topic?”

“Right, sorry. What were we talking about?”

“Supply list. What everyone agreed to bring for the family gathering.” Jihoon reminds. “Still needs a response from uncle. Is he pulling his weight?”

“Minghao spoke with him last week, I believe. He’s good to go.”

Jihoon smiles and Soonyoung wishes he could take a picture or make time standstill to immortalize it. He’s always loved that dimpley smile and for a moment he wonders just how thick this pane of glass between them is because he’d shatter it just to be able to touch Jihoon’s dimple. It’s been far too long.

“Yah! Did you seriously zone out again?” Jihoon is glaring at him again and he can only smile sheepishly. They look at each other and Jihoon ends up scoffing out a laugh, shaking his head. “You’re infuriating.”

“But you love me.”

“Do I?”

“Yes,” Soonyoung grins, shifting his hand so that the light catches on his ring. Jihoon’s eyes flicker to it and he can see his lover fighting a smile as he not so subtly places his own hand with the matching ring on the table in front of him. “And I love you.”

**Wednesday, October 4** **Wake up/Breakfast - 7:00am, Jeonghan**

Jeonghan is awake long before the lights come up and a guard comes barking down the hallway, unlocking the cell doors. He’s been staring at the bottom of Seungcheol’s bed for at least two hours now, and continues to lay and stare even as he hears the prison coming to life around him. There’s the monotonous sound of muted thuds as men jump down from the top bunks and shuffle of shoes across the floor as the half-awake inmates make their way down to the cafeteria. He hears Seungcheol’s sigh as the man stretches above him, the action accompanied by several pops and cracks, before climbing down.

He moves about their cell and Jeonghan still lays there, unmoving. Only when he hears Seungcheol’s murmur of “Angel.”, does Jeonghan finally tear his eyes away from the concrete bed to turn his head and look at the gang leader where he sits in the desk chair. As usual, Seungcheol’s face is unreadable and for a moment Jeonghan wonders what’s going on inside his head. He’d be lying if he denied being curious about how the man’s mind works. He’s an enigma and Jeonghan finds himself wanting to figure him out with each passing day. 

They’re watching each other. Seungcheol with his default mask of intimidation and Jeonghan with his carefully blank stare. Neither of them says a word. This drags on until their hall is clear, everyone having gone downstairs to join the breakfast line. There’s a shift in Seungcheol’s eyes and suddenly Jeonghan is there again, all those weeks ago, hysterical and panicking as Seungcheol hugs him. His lips part in a silent gasp and the look is gone.

“You don’t have any training today.” Seungcheol speaks so softly Jeonghan wouldn’t have known he’d spoken at all had he not been looking the man in the face. He’s not given a chance to respond before he’s alone in the cell.

“I want to say happy birthday but it feels inappropriate when you’re looking all dejected.” Jeonghan lifts his head from the book in his hands - Wonu had let him borrow it after three consecutive days of asking - at the familiar teasing voice. Mingyu is standing in the doorway and smiles when he gets the brunet’s attention. Coming into the cell, Mingyu pulls the chair to sit in front of Jeonghan, arms crossed over the top of the chairback. “What’s wrong?”

“How do you know?” Jeonghan deflects, setting the paperback aside delicately. Wonu is just beginning to warm up to him and he’s not risking ruining that by damaging one of his few precious books. Mingyu eyes the action and smiles a bit. He looks back to Jeonghan and his teasing smirk is back.

“Your best friend, of course. Honestly, I think he’s more excited about your birthday than you are. Didn’t you say they were a big deal in your family?”

‘ _He remembers.’_ A pang goes through Jeonghan’s heart and he looks away, the beginnings of a lump forming in his throat. “You remember me saying that?”

“I’m offended you think I wouldn’t,” Mingyi scoffs playfully. “You still haven’t answered either of my questions.”

Jeonghan sighs. “I’m just...I’m fine. I’m fine.” he’s refusing to meet the taller’s eye, picking at his uniform pants. He doesn’t sound convincing at all and he knows that Mingyu knows he’s lying. He’s been...off, to say the least, for the entire day. Not necessarily happy but not necessarily sad and he’s chosen to spend it cooped up with a book, the thought of surrounding himself with other inmates making him physically nauseous. He didn’t go down to breakfast and wouldn’t have eaten lunch had Ren not brought it up to him. They’re not allowed to remove food from the cafeteria so when asked how he got an entire tray past the guards, his friend had only responded with twinkling eyes and a faux innocent smile, claiming to ‘ _have my ways’._

Right now, Jeonghan would normally be outside with Soonyoung, reviewing and learning more techniques. He’ll admit that this day off is welcomed but it’s also allowed him way too much time with his own thoughts. He’s been in his head more so than usual, something he hasn’t allowed himself since he put on this uniform, and as much as it conflicts his mixed feelings - he’s thankful that Seungcheol has provided him distractions with the gym sessions and constant training.

“Hey, really, what’s wrong?” Jeonghan doesn’t realize that Mingyu got up or that he’s crying until a thumb swipes his cheek. His own hands immediately come up to wipe at his eyes as he sniffs. “Have your parents not come to visit yet? Did they forget? They couldn’t have forgotten, right?”

Mingyu takes a seat next to him and winds an arm around his shoulders. The comfort is welcome and Jeonghan leans into him. “I told them not to come.” he whispers after a few minutes.

“Why?”

“You have to promise not to mock me or laugh.”

“You know I won’t.” Mingyu responds softly and Jeonghan believes him.

“It’ll only make me feel worse,” he admits. His voice cracks and he clears his throat before continuing. “Even if they came, I wouldn’t be able to hug them and it’s all I want for my birthday.”

“Hannie? Mind if I pop in?”

The sun has started to set and Jeonghan has still yet to leave his bed. The only thing that’s changed is his position. He’s now on his side, facing the wall so that the dying sunlight washes over the words so he can continue reading. He’s wrapped in his blanket, his head and the arm holding the book the only parts of him outside of the warm cocoon of material. He only hums in answer to Ren’s question and moments later he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“I wanted to come sooner but I had a feeling you wanted to be alone today.” 

Jeonghan sets his book down again and rolls over. He’s met with a sweet smile and manages a tiny one in return. “Thanks.”

“But, apparently I’m the last to show which makes me a little bitter.”

Jeonghan giggles at his put-out expression. It’s true. Much to his surprise, after Mingyu left, the other Svt members dropped by one by one at random intervals of the afternoon. Vernon and Wonu had only stayed long enough to tell him happy birthday while, like Mingyu had, Soonyoung and Minghao stuck around for a bit longer. Soonyoung spent a few minutes telling terrible jokes to make him laugh and Minghao sat with him in comfortable silence, fiddling with some small device as Jeonghan read. He hadn’t seen Seungcheol since he left for breakfast but he doesn’t linger on that thought for long.

“Yeah, you’re a little late to the party,” he says.

“At least I came before Cheollie hyung,” he points an accusing finger when Jeonghan opens his mouth, narrowing his eyes. “This morning doesn’t count cause you share a cell. Besides, he didn’t say it, now did he?”

“Ok, ok,” Jeonghan surrenders with another giggle. “I’ll give you that one.”

“Good.” Ren scrunches his nose in a cutely angry way before his features melt into something more gentle as he starts rubbing Jeonghan’s arm much like a mother to her child. A portion of his bottled emotions floods through him and he has to close his eyes to keep from crying. “I wish things had worked out differently for you, Jeonghan. Wish you could be spending today with your parents like you always do. But, just think, you’re not completely alone, yeah? You have us now. Seventeen and Nu’est. They like you, you know. I think you might be growing on Coups, too.”

Jeonghan scoffs but the sound is empty of his typical malice. It comes out sadder than he intends and a tear slips out of his left eye. Ren wipes it before he can and he sighs. “Stop lying to me. He doesn’t even know. Or care, for that matter.”

“Disbelieve all you want but I’m, like, 90% positive I’m right.”

“Well my 10% outweighs your 90.”

“That’s not how numbers work.” Ren protests.

“It’s how mine do.” Jeonghan replies matter-of-factly. “And it’s my birthday so what I says goes.”

“Sounds like abuse of power but ok.” the blond says dramatically and Jeonghan gives him a genuine smile this time. “There’s your smile, pretty boy.”

Jeonghan has never been more ready for lights out than he is today. Roll call seems to drag on much longer than necessary and he’s fidgeting, itching to lay back down and sleep the rest of this day away. He would’ve skipped roll call that morning and night but he’s too much of an anxious goody-two-shoes to face the consequence, no matter how minor, that comes with not showing up. Seungcheol has a possessive arm about his waist but doesn’t stop Jeonghan from shifting foot to foot as he normally would. Any other day, the man would stop Jeonghan’s fidgeting and nervous mannerisms as soon as they start. His neglect of that doesn’t go unnoticed tonight. As soon as the guard dismisses them, Jeonghan’s fidgeting gets worse and he’s tempted to tug on the gangster’s sleeve, try to get them inside faster, not wanting to wait for the crowd to thin like they always do.

When they finally reach their cell, Jeonghan sighs in relief, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. He lays down in the same position he’d been in for most of the day, cocooned and facing the wall and hears Seungcheol moving around. His near silent footsteps come toward the beds and stop. Jeonghan continues to listen, waiting for him to pull himself onto the concrete bed but no other sounds come. 

Seungcheol is standing next to the beds, he’s sure of it. Yet he’s making no move to get into his own. Jeonghan strains his ears, trying to pick up on any sound but he can’t hear anything aside from the low murmur coming from the neighboring cells and his own uneven breathing. So, it’s not his fault when the suddenness of fingers running through his hair startles him. The touch is featherlight and Jeonghan relaxes as Seungcheol repeats it. It’s the most soothing touch he’s had all day and he finds himself being put to sleep by it. _“I think you might be growing on Coups, too.”_ Seungcheol strokes his hair until his breathing evens out and he’s on the cusp of sleep when the man whispers.

“Happy birthday, Angel.”

**Thursday, October 5** **Morning leisure - 8:53am, Seungcheol**

Something’s off. He can feel it. There’s a strange buzz of energy in the air and it has not only him, but the rest of his men on edge, restless. No one could sit still at breakfast - Soonyoung had been bouncing his leg non-stop; Minghao’s eye scanned the room over and over in such a mechanical fashion it reminded Seungcheol of their high-tech cams and the wall of monitors used to watch them; Vernon's laid back demeanor was tensed, strung tight and ready to react at any given moment. Even Wonu had been unsettled though his expression gave nothing away.

After the several talks and meetings he and his men have had with Nu’est and Exo over the last three or so weeks, Seungcheol himself had been extra observant himself, keeping close tabs on Nct and B.A.P as suggested by Kris. Those two groups were about as subtle as a hurricane in the way they interacted and while he didn’t know the details of whatever in the fuck they were doing, he knew they were gonna start something.

Roll call had been his confirmation of that notion when he’d spotted Jongup and Jaehyun whispering to each other, trying much too hard to be secretive. From the corner of his eye, he’d also seen Yongguk pacing, weaving in and out of view in the ocean of uniforms. His hand is tight where it rests on Jeonghan’s hip and he can sense every time the longhaired male peeks up at him curiously but doesn’t acknowledge the glances. The courtyard is dismissed and they hang back as per usual but this time, Nu’est joins them, Ren snatching Jeonghan out of Seungcheol’s grasp as JR walks up to him.

“You feel it too?”

Seungcheol simply nods. “Been restless since breakfast.”

“You and me both. Couldn’t stop looking around. Locked eyes with Kris a few times and I could tell we were thinking the same thing.” JR casts his eyes around the emptying courtyard. “Something’s telling me today is the day.”

“Yeah, well, whatever they start, we’re gonna finish.” Seungcheol states. "Our boys outside already had a run-in with some of those fuckers so I guess it’s our turn now.”

Jeonghan finds his way back to Seungcheol’s side as the group finally makes their way to the double doors and he gets a spark of anxiety. He’s not sure why or where it came from but he’s suddenly hesitant. Without thinking, he grabs onto Seungcheol’s wrist and stops walking. The abrupt stop almost causes Vernon to bump into him and Seungcheol raises his brow.

“What are you doing?”

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Jeonghan confesses. Seungcheol and JR exchange looks. 

“We can’t just stand in the courtyard.” JR tells him. Jeonghan bites his lip and they continue inside.

The cafeteria is barren. No guards standing at the staircases or sounds coming from the kitchens. Jeonghan moves closer to Seungcheol as everyone naturally starts taking defensive stances. Then the first person appears from behind one of the pillars. Another comes from a second pillar and then another and another and another come from their hiding spots.

“Angel…” Seungcheol says lowly. “Go to our cell.”

“H-huh?”

“Go to our cell. Minghao and Wonu will guard the stairs.”

Jeonghan tears his eyes away from the expanding group of men to look at Seungcheol. The man’s stance is rigid, his jaw set and eyes ever so slightly narrowed. “But what - what about the rest of you?”

Seungcheol spares him a quick glance and there’s a glint in his eye, mischievous and malicious. “You must’ve forgotten who we are. We’re a gang, Angel. This ain’t our first fight and it sure as hell won’t be the last.”

Panic spikes in Jeonghan’s heart when he sees the group advancing, moving away slowly. He looks between both sets of gangs and gets a sickening feeling as it seems to fully hit him that despite the smiles, the laughs, the kindness - Seventeen and Nu’est are made of dangerous people. Even Ren’s aura has changed - gone is the filterless pretty boy whose personality resembled that of an overgrown child, in its place is a _cold-blooded killer._ Jeonghan bites his lip, takes every bit of two seconds to debate his next words. He needs to get out of here fast.

“Be careful, daddy.” he cautions in a shaky breath. Seungcheol doesn’t look at him but Jeonghan can see him do the slightest of nods.

With that, he turns tail and flees to the right-hand staircase, taking two at a time. There’s a shout from below as the fight breaks out and Jeonghan spins to face the stairs, hoping no one tried to follow him up. He walks backwards toward his and Seungcheol’s cell, panting lightly. 

_‘You’re ok,’_ he has to remind himself. _‘Wonu and Minghao are guarding the stairs. No one is getting up. You’re o-’_ Alarm bells go off in his brain the second Jeonghan’s back collides with something that’s definitely not a wall. Arms wrap around his own, pinning them to his sides.

“Well hello pretty thing.” this voice is unfamiliar and it only quickens Jeonghan’s fall into a panicked state. He’s alone. Someone was waiting for this - for _him_ . He can’t do this. They’re gonna hurt him and he’s weak. He’s weak and he can’t fight ba- Hoshi. _Try to break their foot…_

Jeonghan bites on his tongue, swallowing down his hesitation as he lifts his leg a bit and brings the heel of his foot down as hard as he can on the other guys. The responding crack he can both feel and hear makes him cringe as the guy shouts, but he shoves his remorseful instincts aside. The arms around him have loosened and he thrusts his elbow back into his attacker’s torso and he’s free.

“Wonu, Minghao - stairs, don’t let any-fucking-body past you; Vernon, Mingyu - with me; Hoshi, do your thing.” Seungcheol barks out commands as they’re flanked by a mix of Nct and B.A.P members. JR is doing the same, the members of Nu’est taking up their positions and Seungcheol locks eyes with Taeyong and sneers. “Too much of a pussy to come at us without help, I see.”

“You’ve got company yourself.” the other man spits back and that’s the end of conversation. Zelo throws the first punch at Baekho and hell breaks loose. Both sides full on charge at each other but Seungcheol has his sights set on Taeyong who’s standing behind a few of his mutts, as Seungcheol likes to call them.

Jongup blocks his way first. “Where’s the bitch, Coups?”

“Right in front of me,” he fires back, punching him square in the face. He easily dodges the punches and kicks thrown at him, landing one, two, three more hits and Jongup is out cold on the cafeteria floor.

Spinning, Jeonghan takes a few staggering steps back to put distance between them. Another snippet of advice floats through his mind but he can’t bring himself to kick the man who looks to be incapacitated enough from his first two moves. His breathing is much heavier and frantic and he attempts to slow it at least a little, continuing to back out of the cell. He’s wondering if he should call for someone to get this guy out of his cell when he sees the other man in his peripheral.

At the last second, he manages to dodge a punch and kicks out, landing a kick right to the guys knee. He cries out, caught off balance, and falls to his other. Jeonghan follows up with a knee to the face and sends the man sprawling, cradling his nose and spitting curses.

“You stupid bitch!” the man from his cell growls, trying, with obvious difficulty, to run at Jeonghan. As soon as he’s in arms reach, he’s blinded when Jeonghan’s fingers hit him square in the eye and falls, screaming, to his knees. Jeonghan’s victory is short-lived when a hand wraps around his ankle and yanks him to the floor. He lands hard on his left arm and just barely keeps his head from hitting the concrete.

He rolls onto his back and starts kicking wildly at his attacker while using his uninjured arm to pull himself backwards. He lands several kicks, including to the stomach, thigh and chin before his legs are restrained and Jeonghan screams.

Minghao sprints up the stairs as soon as the scream reaches his ears and spots Jeonghan on his back in the hallway desperately trying to fight a bloody nosed man off of him. He runs forward and roundhouses the man and he falls over, unconscious. Jeonghan scrambles to his feet.

“Are you ok?” Minghao asks earnestly, taking in the other man still trying to recover from the eye jab. Jeonghan nods jerkily though, emotionally, he’s far from it.

“Th-they didn’t get to do anything,” he manages to say between heaving breaths. “I fought...I, I used what Hoshi taught me an-”

The shrill sounds of whistles cut through the air followed by the yelling of multiple guards. Jeonghan beats Minghao to the stairs and they race down them. Jeonghan’s eyes scan the fighting bodies and he sees two guards actively trying to break up fights while two more stand in front of the doors leading to the rec and indoor gym hall, keeping nosy and trigger-happy inmates from crowding the cafeteria and potentially joining the chaos. Then he sees Seungcheol taking on three guys at once, one of whom he recognizes as Johnny.

Wonu catches him by the upper arm when he goes to run and Minghao blocks him with an arm. “He can hold his own.” Wonu says. If the statement is supposed to reassure him, it doesn’t, even though it seems to be holding true. 

Seungcheol is using them against each other and it looks like a scene pulled out of a movie, the way he dodges a punch and kicks one in the back of the knee to send him falling into the other. He’s strong but he’s also quick and the other’s fighting looks clumsy compared to his. Jeonghan is biting his lip raw as he watches and nearly screams when a fourth person - the white-haired man who’d been sitting atop one of the cafeteria tables when he first saw him - strikes Seungcheol from behind when he’s distracted, opening a window for the rest to attack. He’s pulling against Wonu’s shockingly powerful grip, in full blown panic as he begs to ' _help, someone needs to help him!'_

More guards come running into the room and the fighting ceases as guns and tasers are pointed. “None of you fucking move!” one of the guards shouts. “Not one more move until I say so. If you’re holding or hiding a weapon, fucking drop it.”

“Separate.” Another one commands. “Slowly. No sudden moves because I will not hesitate to taze you.”

The men do as told and Jeonghan sees Mingyu spit out a mouthful of frothy blood as he backs up slowly, hands raised in front of him in surrender. Hoshi, Vernon, and Seungcheol all share the same pissed off face and Jeonghan notices a hidden limp in Seungcheol’s step as the two sets of gangs - the conscious ones - move to either side of the cafeteria. Wonu gently tugs Jeonghan and the trio joins the rest of the Svt and Nu’est members. He lets him go and Jeonghan beelines to Seungcheol. 

He hugs the man, arms wrapped tight around his neck as he hides his face. Seungcheol is thrown off by it for a moment but allows it when he hears Jeonghan’s shuddering breaths, the way he’s just barely holding himself together. He winds one arm around the brunet’s lithe waist, speaks lowly in his ear.

“I’m fine, Angel.”

“You’re not,” Jeonghan argues muffledly. His voice is brittle, tearful. “You’re hurt. They hurt you.”

The gang leader chuckles quietly. “I’ve been and done worse. This is nothing compared to that.”

“Who are the leaders?” the guard demands. There’s a still silence over the cafeteria where no one moves. The question is repeated and Seungcheol looks to his left to find JR looking back. Seungcheol then looks at Mingyu, transferring Jeonghan to his arms. The brunet takes some coaxing to let go and when he does, he has to bite his tongue to keep from protesting and crying out like his brain is telling him to as Seungcheol and JR step forward simultaneously, followed by Yongguk and lastly, Taeyong. “You four. Come here. Keep your hands up.”

Everyone watches with bated breath as they do as told. Two more guards join the ones who spoke, and each man is forced to his knees and handcuffed. “These are your leaders.” one of them starts. “We don’t have the time or patience to do the paperwork for all of you idiots so this’ll do. Let your leaders serve as example. As the result of your idiotic fighting, they will all be spending three days in solitary confinement.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, I love to read your thoughts and reactions and I try to respond to every comment I get! And if you haven't, please give this story a kudos as it is a huge source of motivation for me! Stay safe, stay healthy, BLACK LIVES STILL MATTER
> 
> Bye babes!!!


	6. Solitude - Thursday, October 5 9:17am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one day I'll remember the layout of my own story :')
> 
> i wont even talk about what it was like trying to write and finish this chapter
> 
>   
> Thank you, once again, to my lovely helper MitchelleAO <3
> 
> As always, this will be proofread and edited at a later date when ive recovered some braincells
> 
> Enjoy!

Jeonghan buries his face in Mingyu’s chest to avoid watching Seungcheol get dragged off along with the rest of the leaders. There’s another guard barking out orders but Jeonghan can’t hear anything over the screaming voice in his head and his own shuddering breaths. The cafeteria gets louder as the other prisoners come flooding in and all of the voices and rising chatter have Jeonghan clinging tighter to Mingyu, blunt nails digging so tightly into the taller’s biceps that they’re bound to leave a mark. He’s suffocating, unable to fill his lungs properly and his ears are starting to ring and - he needs Seungcheol.

He needs the firm yet comforting weight of the man’s arms around him, the harsh but grounding nature of his voice - he needs it. The ache hits so suddenly and deeply that his knees buckle and several hands shoot out to catch him. He’s swept off of his feet, carried bridal style as he begins to cry; ugly, strangled sounds wrenching from deep within him and clawing their way out of his throat. There are muttered curses around him and there’s the familiar roughness of concrete beneath him as Mingyu tries to set him on his bed.

“No!” Jeonghan cries, hysteria turning his voice shrill as an overwhelming panic bubbles up within his chest. He can't be alone. They can't leave him. There was someone in his cell. Is he still there? What if he's waiting for them to leave so he can hurt Jeonghan?

He spirals into a frenzy of "What ifs?" that have him nearly hyperventilating, unable to listen to reason and pleading for Seungcheol's presence. It takes what feels like hours for the men to calm him enough for Mingyu to lay him down and even then Minghao has to hold his hand because he desperately needs the contact. Minghao sits on the side of his bunk, stroking Jeonghan’s hair with his free hand until his cries settle into sniffles and his body relaxes into the blanket beneath him. He eventually drifts to sleep and the members speak through glances as they release a unison sigh and settle back to watch over the brunet.

Seungcheol stumbles into the cell, glaring at the guard over his shoulder. He gets a smug look in return before the door slams shut and there's the distinct sound of a lock clicking into place, sealing him in the tiny room. He huffs, rubbing absentmindedly at his wrists as he takes in his temporary cell. It's far more cramped than the normal cells with a single naked cot on the floor and a desk that looks like it was taken from a school with a wooden chair. Inside the desk is a small stack of cheap paper, a worn paperback book, and two wooden pencils. There's a toilet and a shitty little sink next to it and Seungcheol grimaces at the thought of using it. If he stands in the middle of the room and stretches his arm, there's barely a foot between his fingertips and the walls on either side of him. 

With a sigh, Seungcheol limps over to the cot and slowly lowers himself onto it with a pained grunt. He does a quick self assessment, and finds that - aside from the small limp he has and his bruised knuckles - he’s fine. The adrenaline is wearing off and he slumps against the wall behind him, head landing against it with a muted thump. ‘ _They will all be spending three days in solitary confinement’._ Seungcheol sighs again, reaching up to rub at his eyes.

“Three days,” he mutters to himself, hand falling back to his lap as he looks around the room. “Just three days.”

  
  


_“You’re leaving? Again?”_

_He catches the curse muttered beneath her breath as the two adults freeze, turning around slowly as if they’ve been caught red-handed. They’re standing shoulder to shoulder but he already saw the suitcases they’re trying to block from his sight. They exchange a glance he’s seen too many times for it to be secretive and he waits for the lies and excuses to come. She nudges the man at her side and he widens his eyes in opposition but her own narrow and he caves._

_“It’s just three days. You’ll be fine.” he’s told patronizingly with a painfully fake smile. “There’s food in the house all with arm’s reach and no one’s visiting so you’ll be fine.”_

_“Will I be locked in again?”_

_Their expressions morph into faux shock and he knows they’re lying when they claim to have no idea what he means by that. He’s hurried up the stairs and down the long, long hallway to his room, told another lie that they’ll “be home in no time!”, and a few minutes later the front door slams as he’s left alone. Again._

  
  


**Unidentified location - 3:15pm**

“Fucking finally!” Chan exclaims with an exaggerated groan as he stretches, the action accompanied by several pops and cracks. He kicks the empty box across the room, spiteful satisfaction bringing a smile to his face as it thumps against the wall. Expectedly, Jihoon immediately tells him off with a pointed glare and he retrieves the box to add it to one of several mini trash piles they’ve created throughout the unpacking and setup process. With that final box, they’re officially done setting up - meeting, weapons, bedrooms and all. The kitchen is also fully stocked courtesy of Seokmin and Jisoo and Chan could really go for a snack right now after almost five continuous hours of unpacking and arranging and putting things together.

His stomach growls and he starts to beeline in the direction of the hallway when he’s stopped by Jihoon grabbing his wrist. “Not so fast.” the ravenhead says with an exasperated sigh. Chan, in contradiction to the many times he’s insisted that he’s “ _not a kid anymore, hyung!”_ , throws his head back and whines petulantly.

“But I’m hungry~,” he protests, feeling two seconds from throwing a mini tantrum. “Can’t I at least get a snack first?”

“You can help me get rid of these boxes first.”

“Hyung-”

“We both know that the second you leave this room you’ll have no intentions of coming back. This is still work. We finish work, then you can raid the snacks.” Jihoon instructs, nodding to the piles. Chan goes to further protest but one glance at Jihoon lets him know that doing so is probably not the best idea. They’re all tired and overworked and he figures they’ll be allowed a day or two off after this so he complies with a nod. Jihoon gives him a tiny smile and lets go of his wrists to pat the younger male on the back. “You’ll survive another thirty minutes without food, trust me.”

“If I die from starvation, it’s your fault,” Chan accuses. JIhoon chuckles.

“Then perish.”

**Afternoon leisure - 5:57pm, Jeonghan**

Jeonghan wakes to the sensation of his hair being stroked and is disoriented for a few seconds as he blinks to clear his blurry eyes, reaching up to wipe the sleep from them. His eyes are achy and dry and his nose is a bit stuffy and it takes a while for his brain to wake up. When he turns his head, the first sight to greet him is Ren’s gentle smile. He’s about to smile back when he spots the blond’s split lip and the morning’s events come rushing back to him. He jolts up, head swiveling. Six pairs of eyes regard him with concern at his near frantic scanning.

“Hannie, you’re ok.” Ren attempts to reassure him. “It’s only us.”

The brunet nods, chewing on his bottom lip as he slouches a bit. There’s worry clear in his eyes but he musters a half-hearted smile for Ren before laying back down. Ren resumes the hair petting and he allows the comforting gesture. “How long have I been out?” he finally asks.

“Slept through lunch,” Wonu answers. “We didn’t want to wake you after your panic attack this morning.”

“They didn’t come to lunch either.” Ren says. Jeonghan frowns at the five men and Soonyoung shrugs.

“We weren’t hungry anyway.”

“Besides, if one of those jackasses even so much as breathe in our direction, there would’ve been another fight.” Vernon mutters. He also has a split lip and the knuckles of his right hand are covered in dry, cracked blood. Jeonghan can’t tell if it’s his blood or someone else’s. Maybe both. Probably both. He looks away.

“You stayed while I slept?”

A chorus of ‘yes's follow his inquiry and Jeonghan finds himself smiling at the responses. He didn’t think they would’ve stayed, kinda figured he’d wake up alone at some point in the day, but there’s a warmness in his heart at the thought of them watching over him despite not having to. Ren is giving him a knowing look, his smile turning teasingly smug.

“See? I said you got us, yeah?”

“Minghao tells us you kicked some guys asses up here. Took on two of em?” Soonyoung says to change the topic. He’s smiling, and he looks...proud. _‘Yes,’_ Jeonghan realizes, _‘He’s proud of me.’_ He nods, shy.

“They were hiding in our cell,” he explains, picking at a sleeve. “One grabbed me from behind and I started panicking but I remembered what you taught me.”

“Did you break it?”

Jeonghan cringes at the memory. “Maybe? I dunno but I heard a loud crack when I stomped on his foot.” Soonyoung makes a pleased sound and gives him a thumbs up.

“Good job, pretty boy. You _do_ pay attention during our sessions.” he jabs playfully and Jeonghan glares with no real annoyance.

“I get distracted ONE time and you never let me live it down.”

“I’m pretty sure he broke the second guy’s nose.” Minghao interrupts their banter. “Guy had a bloody nose. Our Angel isn’t as defenseless as he once was.”

There are more murmured agreements and praises directed at him and Jeonghan can feel himself blushing from the attention. The topic changes yet again to a light-hearted story, courtesy of Ren, and Jeonghan is still smiling unconsciously as he listens attentively, propping his head up on his arm. After Ren’s story, Mingyu recollects one of his own funny memories and from him, Soonyoung, Wonu, and even Vernon share. The stories range from childhood - where Vernon almost let a spider bite him because he’d just seen the first Spider-Man - to first meetings of the members - apparently Wonu had initially hated Mingyu but ended up falling for him because “the giant dork was so smitten and endearingly cute” - to more recent times with the rest of their group before the setup.

Jeonghan had completely forgotten that there were more of them; that these six were just half of the group. He bites his lip, tempted to ask about the others but feels like it’s not his place to do so. Sure, he considers them friends at this point but... Minghao's earlier words seem to register at that moment, _"Our Angel...",_ and another wave of warmth goes through the brunet.

“Hannie?” Ren’s prompting voice brings him out of his head and back to present time where he realizes that everyone is looking at him again.

“Hm?”

“We asked if you have any stories you’d like to share?”

“Oh, uh…” Jeonghan nibbles on his lip, thinking. “Oh! My mom likes to tell this story. When I was a baby, I would play on the clothing rack we kept in the living room. She said I treated it like a playground and would climb all over it even when the laundry was drying and mess it all up.” Jeonghan giggles at the memory of his mother telling him this story, of her showing him the many pictures she’d taken as proof. “Obviously, I don’t remember any of that but she has a photo album with a page full of proof as she likes to call it.”

“That sounds...so fucking adorable.” Ren coos. “I would love to see those pictures.”

“Yeah, I…” Jeonghan cuts himself off. _‘I’ll never be able to show him.’_ For a moment, he’s shocked at how sad the thought makes him. Under any other circumstance, Jeonghan never would’ve met these guys, let alone befriend them. Under any other circumstance he would’ve seen them exactly how that asshole guard, society, his own _mother_ , do. Criminals. Nothing more than criminals. He never would’ve gotten to talk to them, joke with them, know them, had his life not been flipped upside down and Jeonghan hasn’t thought of that in a while. The reason he’s here. As always, it brings out feelings of anger, sadness and betrayal but this time, he notices, the feelings are muted - not nearly as strong as they were back when the whole ordeal started.

It takes Ren shaking his arm to pull him out of his head yet again and the thumb swiping his cheek has him realizing he’s crying, yet again. “What were you thinking about that made you start crying? The whole point of us telling stories was to make you happy, Hannie.”

“I know. I,” Jeonghan huffs a sigh, sitting up. He wipes at his eyes, sniffing. “I just got stuck in my head again and I realized,” he looks to his friend; then to Soonyoung who’s wearing a sad little smile as if he knows exactly what Jeonghan had been thinking; then Minghao who wears his own gentle smile; then Mingyu who’s big, bright smile is reminiscent of a puppy; then Wonu and Vernon whose normally intimidating gazes are nowhere to be found; and a bittersweet smile lifts the corners of his lips as a few more tears slip down his cheeks. “I never would’ve met you guys outside of here and...I know that when I leave, I might never see you again. I know it’s stupid that thinking that made me cry but, you guys are the only friends I’ve had in a while and the best out of any friends I’ve ever had.”

“Aw, Hannie, you’re gonna make me cry,” Ren whines with a pout, tackling the brunet in a hug. The five men share a unison glance as the two burst into watery giggles in response to the blonde’s antics. They nod once, their decision easily made.

**Lights Out - 9:02pm, Seungcheol**

Seungcheol doesn’t lift his head to acknowledge the guard opening his cell door until he hears three soft taps. He huffs, snappy remark on the tip of his tongue, but when he looks up and sees Chanyeol, he just sighs and quirks a brow. “What?”

“Well that’s no way to acknowledge a friend.”

“Tolerable colleague.”

“Or that.” the elf-eared man looks down both ends of the corridor before fully stepping into the cell and lowering his voice. “I have some information.”

“That you couldn’t have told Minghao?”

“Look, you’re in here for the next two days and I’m already on confinement duty, so I figured now would be the best time to share it.”

“Go on.”

Chanyeol peeks again and Seungcheol rolls his eyes. “Your paranoia is going to fuck you over one day and all I’m saying is that it better not happen when-”

“It won’t, it won’t. And I’m not paranoid. I’m careful.”

“Said every paranoid person ever. You said you have information?” he makes a ‘hurry up’ gesture with his hand. “Get on with it.”

“Alright, so as I’ve already told you, schedules for the next month are made at the beginning of each month - a flawed system if you ask me but it works in our favor-”

“Yeol.”

“Right. Well, I got my hands on the draft and I also snagged a picture of the camera layout Minghao wanted.” 

Seungcheol’s expression is unreadable and his following silence has the guard shifty-eyed and nervous. “And no one saw you or potentially could have seen you?”

“No.” Chanyeol shakes his head. “I told you, I’m not paranoid. I’m just extremely careful.”

“How long until you can have that layout drawn out for Minghao and Wonu?”

“Couple days?”

“Tomorrow.”

“He’ll get it tomorrow.”

Seungcheol gives him a near imperceptible nod. “Good.”

** Lights Out - 10:17pm, Jeonghan **

Jeonghan hesitates outside of his cell. He’s nauseous, anxiety is making his stomach roil, and he grips one of the cell bars to steady himself. His eyes find the unmade top bunk and an involuntary whimper falls past his lips. The other inmates are paying him no mind and he’s grateful for it because his confident gait and aura that he spent literal weeks building up is nowhere to be found as the realization that he’ll be sleeping alone in their cell for three nights hits him like a punch to the gut.

A guard shouts at him from the end of the hall and he stumbles into the cell. Moments later, the door slams shut behind him and the sound of the key locking it suddenly seems ten times as loud. The lights turn off seconds after that and Jeonghan is left standing in the middle of the room, not wanting to lay down. There’s the usual murmur coming from surrounding cells but the lack of Seungcheol’s shuffling, his near silent sighs and his quiet grunt when he climbs onto the top bunk creates a deafening silence in the brunet’s ears.

It’s odd. The way that same ache from this morning returns so abruptly, so deeply, that it knocks him breathless. There’s a cry clawing its way up his throat that he forces down in lieu of sounding and feeling pitiful, the same cry of Seungcheol’s name that he had to swallow back this morning. Jeonghan wraps his arms around himself, clutching at his sides. His thoughts are a mess, running a mile a minute and the only result to come of it is a quickly forming headache.

Jeonghan doesn’t know how long he stands there, staring at his bed, but it’s long enough for his eyes to grow heavy and the other prisoners to go silent aside from the occasional snore. He shuffles over and slowly lowers himself to sit. The room is pitch black, clouds covering the waning moon, and that same loneliness and fear he felt his first night here is suddenly back but for a completely different reason. He lies down mechanically, pulling the blanket up to cover his head as he curls into himself, squeezing his eyes shut and willing himself to fall asleep so this day can end and the next two can come and go quickly.

_“A night light? Really?”_

_“I...yeah? I saw an ad for it and-”_

_“You’re not telling me you’re scared of the dark.”_

_“N-no?”_

_“You’re pitiful. What nine year old asks for a night light? Kids your age don’t have night lights.”_

_He’s about to ask how he should know that - the only kids his age he know are the ones in dramas and commercials - but he bites his tongue. She hates when he talks back and he still has the bruise to prove it. She regards him with disgust, as if he’d just asked for something completely absurd._

_“You’re lucky you’re too young for me to kick you out. I have a reputation to uphold and if some homeless little kid gets picked up and links back to me, it’ll be ruined.”_

_Reputation. He hears that word a lot. Reputation. Image. He doesn’t understand what they mean or why he keeps hearing them but deep down he knows it’s his fault. What did he do? He doesn’t know, but she keeps telling him -_ **_they_ ** _keep telling him that he’ll ruin it. Their reputation. Their image. It’s why he’s not allowed outside. They didn’t tell him that but he’s not stupid and after a while, it was easy to connect the dots._

_The conversation is over after that and he slinks away, back down the long, long hallway to his room where he won’t have to listen to her ridicule. He closes the door slowly, tentatively, the ‘click’ barely audible but still making him flinch. He holds his breath for a few seconds, hoping she didn’t hear. Nothing happens and he sighs in relief, walking over to his bed and climbing into it. Distantly, he can hear their laughter. At him. They’re laughing at him, he knows - he knows because soon she’ll show up and he’ll come with her to ridicule him to his face. He tucks the blanket over his head and closes his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep before they come._

  
  
  


**Friday, October 6** **Breakfast - 8:13am, Seungcheol**

The sound of the door hitting the wall startles Seungcheol awake and his half-awake glare does nothing but make the asshole of a guard laugh more. _‘Fucking child.’_ A tray is dropped at his feet, he hears a mocking “Eat up!”, and then the door is being slammed shut. Seungcheol sits up with a heavy sigh, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He takes one glance at the tray and decides, _'I'm not eating this shit.'_ Not only does it look worse than the normal prison food, but as a result of the guard's handling, the sectioned off portions are no longer sectioned off, mixed and splattered across the tray and some has even fallen onto the floor.

His stomach growls and he scowls. There's no point in starving himself for the next two days, he knows this but there's a petulant part of him that wants to wait for the guard to return so he can throw it in his face. They can't extend his sentence but his members will also never let him hear the end of it if he gets in any more trouble. He'd be risking too much by acting out on his pettiness so, with another huff, he picks up the tray and eats.

**Morning Leisure - 10:05am, Jeonghan**

Jeonghan is trying to sleep. Keyword - trying. Mingyu cancelled their morning workout and their little group has congregated in his and Seungcheol’s cell yet again. It’s a gloomy day; overcast and so dark that the courtyard lights had to be turned on for anyone to see properly. Everyone’s dreadfully waiting for the inevitable storm, knowing that once it hits they’ll all be confined within the facility. The lack of sunlight through the tiny barred window gives the gray toned cell an even more dismal atmosphere and it’s definitely having an impact on Jeonghan’s already downcast mood so his solution is to try and sleep the day away.

Conversation is light, spoken mostly through whispers, and Ren is stroking his hair again. He’s on the cusp of consciousness, the already quiet voices fading into white noise as his eyelids grow heavier by the second. Just as he’s about to slip into a dreamless slumber - several voices and footsteps come barging into the room, scaring his soul right out of his body. Jeonghan jumps so hard he nearly kicks Ren right off the bed, bug eyed as his heart pounds hard against his ribs.

It takes a few seconds for him to see the reason of his rude awakening - Baekhyun, Sehun, and the other members of Nu’est wearing shit eating grins as they make their loud entrance. Xiumin throws Jeonghan an apologetic smile, the only to notice that they’d scared the brunet shitless. 

Now, Jeonghan isn’t sure what the cell capacity is but he’s almost positive they’re pushing it with how many people are crowded in here. Baekho and Aron take claim of the top bunk and Jeonghan is forced to sit up as Baekhyun joins them on the bottom. Xiumin sits with his back against the cell bars next to the entrance and Minhyun perches atop the desk. The noise level rises considerably and Jeonghan’s hope of a nap flies right out the barred window. He rubs at his eyes, slumping against the concrete wall with a quiet sigh.

Conversation picks up around him and he’s content to just sit back and listen, laughing at the mix of terrible and witty jokes, but he soon gets dragged into the conversation. The rain starts somewhere around 11 but Jeonghan barely pays it any mind, too caught up in laughing at Soonyoung’s impression of one of their free members. The atmosphere they’ve created is bright and cheery as opposed to the clapping thunder and intimidating strikes of lightning lighting up the dark sky.

**Morning Leisure - 11:11am, Seungcheol**

It’s raining. 

He can’t see that it’s raining due to the lack of windows but he can hear it coming down hard, pounding against the roof. Seungcheol hates the rain. He’s been stuck in it far too many times to count and his hatred of it has only grown since being imprisoned. When it rains, the courtyard is closed and everyone is forced to remain within the walls of the facility. Over a hundred prisoners - most of whom hate each other - being restricted to the rec room, gym, and cafeteria for an entire day in stormy weather never ends well and Seungcheol has been in his fair share of fights when tensions got too high and some prick got brave enough to throw a punch.

The only bright side of rainy day fights was that the guards could never tell who threw the first punch because those fights almost always ended up in a massive brawl and the guards were much too lazy to punish everyone. No one wanted to handle all the paperwork it required so once the fights were settled, the most they would do is give half-assed warnings and threats then everyone would go about their day.

The rhythmic thudding of rain on the rooftop doesn’t lull Seungcheol to sleep like it would another person. It makes him more stir-crazy. He’s paced the room for the better part of an hour, does pushups and situps to distract himself because he can’t sit still. Every piece of paper he’d been given is covered top to bottom, front to back and his pencil lays, snapped into several pieces, by the toilet. 

It’s a battle to keep his mind occupied and he nearly rips the paperback in half when he tries to sit down and read. Setting the book aside, Seungcheol drops his head back, unaffected by the way it thumps against the wall. He squeezes his eyes shut, takes a deep breath in through his nose, and holds it. He holds it until his lungs burn, then longer until they ache before he releases it slowly and takes another. He repeats this a few more times until the shitstorm in his brain calms and he can think semi-clearly.

His thoughts settle onto a single person. An image of flowing brown hair and innocently round eyes appears on the backs of his eyelids and his eyes fly open. There’s a pang in his chest and Seungcheol tries to think of something, anything, else. It’s a fruitless endeavor as his thoughts keep landing on delicate hands and a sweet voice. Bitten lips and a pert ass. But then they shift ever so slightly to teary eyes and shuddering breaths. A desperate cry of _"Daddy!"_ and the way hands clung to him before the leaders were handcuffed and dragged away.

Now that he thinks of it, he realizes how genuinely worried Jeonghan had been. How close to tears he sounded when he hugged Seungcheol and the way he didn't want to let go. And he finds himself wondering if he’s ok. The last time Jeonghan had been so shaken up was after his attack in the showers and Seungcheol tenses, wondering if Jeonghan had somehow gotten cornered during the fight. Then he wonders, _‘why the hell do I care?’._ Seungcheol presses the heels of his hands into his eyes and holds another breath. It comes out shakily when he releases it and his head thumps against the wall a second time as he stares up at the ceiling, the sound of rain becoming nothing more than a dull drone.

“What are you doing to me?”

“You are the textbook definition of a slut, Baekhyun.”

Jeonghan chokes on his spit at Sehun’s deadpan comment. The entire room bursts into another fit of giggles and Baekhyun makes a sound of faux offense. “Why am I being attacked?”

“Because you attacked me first,” Xiumin says, giving him the finger.

“But was I wrong?”

“Was _I_?” Sehun challenges and Baekhyun pouts.

“I haven’t been with anyone in months.”

“Wow, months. What an achievement,” Xiumin slow claps, dodging when Baekhyun tries to kick him.

“Shut up for a second and let me finish,” he hisses with a glare. “As I was saying, I haven’t been with anyone in months because my Channie fucks me better than any of these muscle pigs could ever dream.”

“You could corrupt anyone, I swear.” Ren giggles. “A demon disguised behind that pretty smile and little body.”

“Chanyeol was corrupt from the start,” Soonyoung counters, scoffing. “All Baekhyun had to do was show a hint of attraction and he was all over him.”

Jeonghan rakes his brain for a moment, trying to figure out why that name sounds so familiar. Where does he know a Chanyeol from? It sounds much too familiar to just be a coincidence or distant memory and it takes another few seconds for it to come to him.

“Wait, you’re sleeping with one of the guards?”

The room goes dead silent and he feels like he just found out something he shouldn’t have. The other men exchange glances and Jeonghan doesn’t like how long the silence stretches around him. Thankfully, Mingyu breaks it moments later with an irritated sigh.

“You can’t seriously tell me that we can’t and don’t trust him with knowing.”

Every eye lands on him and he frowns. There’s a range of emotion across the room; Baekhyun’s biting his lip and awkwardly averting his eyes, Soonyoung, Wonu and Vernon all have those same looks they had on Jeonghan’s first day and his frown deepens. They don’t trust him. And it actually hurts to recognize this. He bows his head, mood taking a complete 180 as he feels his eyes burn slightly.

Soonyoung sighs, the sound irritated and exasperated. “You’re right,” he mutters and Jeonghan peeks up at him. He doesn’t know what he expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. Soonyoung’s expression has turned somewhat remorseful and he looks apologetic when Jeonghan meets his eye. “I’m sorry. _We’re-_ ” he looks pointedly at Wonu and Vernon who nod. “-sorry, and Mingyu is right. We do trust you cause you haven’t given us reason not to.”

“Don’t take offense to their reactions.” Minghao murmurs. “It’s ingrained into us. Instinct, really. Nothing against you.”

“Why wouldn’t you guys-” he hates how small and hurt his voice sounds and clears his throat to repeat himself, louder and more confidently. “Why wouldn’t you guys be able to trust me?”

“We do trust you, Hannie. You’re family now.” Ren says, leaning his head against the brunet’s shoulder. “Like Hao said, it’s instinct.”

“To answer your first question,” Baekhyun speaks up. “Yes, I’m with a prison guard. Chanyeol is my boyfriend and, as one could predict, he works more for us than he does the justice system.”

“I’d say you can’t tell anyone but the only people you talk to are already in the room.” Mingyu says and Jeonghan rolls his eyes, tucking his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs.

“You fucking dorks. You’re all fucking dorks and I hate you.” the malice is lost in his sniffles as a tear escapes down his cheek. He really hates how emotional he is lately.

“Love you too, pretty boy.” Soonyoung chuckles and the lunch bell goes off seconds later. The five men, Ren and Jeonghan stay still as the others file out and they wait in silence until they’ve gone down the stairs before Wonu addresses Jeonghan.

“There’s other things you should know concerning Chanyeol but we’ll have to talk to Coups hyung first.”

At the mention of his name, Jeonghan visibly deflates and Ren pats his shoulder. “Know you hate him, but he is the leader after all. Now, come on. I’m not letting you - _any_ of you - skip another meal. You know Coups would kick your asses if he found out you weren’t eating like you should be.”

There are a few voiced protests but the men get up from where they're sitting (or, in Mingyu's case, laying) and shuffle toward the exit. Jeonghan's lips have formed into a tiny pout and there's a lingering sadness hanging over him. He hadn’t thought about Seungcheol in a while and he knows the others have mistaken the drop in his mood. As far as they know, and he’ll continue to let them think, he still hates the gang leader. Jeonghan doesn’t know how to tell them that it’s not true. He himself has barely come to terms with it and he has no idea how to tell them that he misses him.

**Call Booth 2 - 7:26pm, Minghao**

“Any updates?”

“We’ve finished setting up, cleaning up, stocking up - everything, really. Jihoon is finally letting the kids explore like they want and learn the layout now that we have quite literally nothing to do for the next couple of days or so.” Junhui relays, sighing afterwards.

“You sound tired.” Minghao wishes he could see his face. See just how much sleep he hasn’t been getting.

Junhui chuckles mirthlessly. “I am tired. Together, the six of us have gotten a total of maybe six hours in five days. Jihoon had four cups of coffee in the span of thirty minutes this morning.”

“That can’t be healthy.”

“Oh, it isn’t. He didn’t put a drop of cream either. Drank it straight black.”

Minghao grimaces. “Well, I hope you guys actually get some decent rest over the next few days. Things’ll be picking up soon.”

“We’ll try. I’ll have to pry Jisoo hyung away from his precious monitors. He’s been a little paranoid after what happened and even went as far as changing the layout of the main cams and making the kids reinstall them. The new placement is admittedly better but it did add an extra half day of unplanned work on top of everything else. Enough about us, though,” Junhui’s voice brightens. “Any updates on your end?”

“Our updates aren’t nearly as good.” Minghao replies. “I know Hoshi hyung updated you guys on our talks with Exo and Nu’est and, sure enough, Nct and B.A.P started a fight they couldn’t finish or win. We were kicking their asses before the guards showed up and ruined our fun. Carted all four leaders off to solitary confinement.”

“Wait, what? So Coups hyung...?”

“Yeah, we won’t see him until the day after tomorrow. Maybe later.”

“You can’t let him-”

“I know. We’ll just,” Minghao sighs, rubbing at his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “We’ll figure something out. We’ll take care of him.”

**Dinner - 8:04pm, Seungcheol**

Chanyeol freezes in the doorway when he sees the state of Seungcheol’s cell. There’s torn, crumpled pieces of paper scattered all over the floor and pages have been ripped out of the paperback that lies by the door, face up and in half. The desk has been toppled on its side and two legs have been ripped off of the wooden chair. The cot lays in a position that shows it had very clearly been thrown across the room and Seungcheol sits with his back to the wall, crossed arms resting on his knees, and he’s topless - Chanyeol sees his shirt sitting in the sink -, staring blankly at the door.

He steps in quickly and shuts the door, fixing the desk with one hand so he can set the tray atop it. “What the hell happened?” he demands in a harsh whisper, picking up the destroyed book. “Had anyone else come in, you’d be in even deeper shit for this...this _mess._ How did you even manage to rip the _chair legs off??_ You know what, don’t answer that.”

Chanyeol looks and sounds every bit like a stressed parent, brows furrowed as he gathers the hand shredded paper and broken pencil, shoving them in his pockets. Seungcheol continues to stare blankly at the door, unresponsive. “I’ll switch out your chair with one from another room and figure out how to get rid of this one without someone seeing. You just love to make my job harder than it needs to be, don’t you?” he glances at Seungcheol and ends up doing a double take, pausing mid bend with his hands hovering over the chair.

“Hey,” he waves his hand in front of Seungcheol’s face. No reaction. He snaps but Seungcheol doesn’t even blink. It takes Chanyeol clapping to get the man’s attention and Seungcheol catches his wrist in a vice grip. Chanyeol grunts but doesn’t try to pull away. “Cheol. Cheol, it’s me.” he says calmly. “I’m just trying to help and I would appreciate if you didn’t break my wrists.”

Seungcheol blinks once, twice, then loosens his grip, allowing Chanyeol to pull free. He sighs, deep and slow, and the elf eared guard eyes him warily.

“Your food is on the desk. I’ll be back with another chair after I throw all of this paper away.” he talks slowly as if he’s trying to talk down a wild animal. Seungcheol watches him with his cold, unreadable stare as he goes to pick up the splintered chair legs. “Please just eat and don’t - for the love of my sanity, don’t - break anything else.”

He takes the chair and slips out of the room, the door closing with a barely audible click. Seungcheol’s eyes find the desk and the tray atop it. His fingers twitch with the urge that comes to flip it back over and he digs his blunt nails into his palms to quell it. When Chanyeol returns, he’s still staring at the desk and little rivulets of blood are trailing down his left wrist from his palm. Chanyeol grabs the tray of food and brings it to Seungcheol, lowering it slowly as if extending a peace offering.

“Look, I know there’s a lot going on in your head but just...think of this, ok? Tomorrow is the last day and you’ll be back out there with your members. Until then, can you please eat and not destroy anything else or like...punch a hole in the wall? I know they’re concrete but I honestly wouldn’t put it past you.”

“Is he ok?” it’s the first thing he’s said in hours and Chanyeol has no idea what he’s talking about.

“He...?”

“Jeonghan. Angel. Is he ok?” Seungcheol’s voice is nothing more than a reserved murmur. He sounds detached and Chanyeol grows more uneasy. It feels as if he’s talking to a ticking timebomb that’s about to go off at any given second.

“I uh, I think? I don’t know-” he can’t hide the surprise in his voice or the way he’s completely thrown for a loop by the question.

“You’ve been talking to Minghao.”

“I- yes. I haven’t spoken with him today but-”

“Talk to him tonight.”

“About- about Jeonghan?” Seungcheol’s eyes meet his and an icy chill goes down his spine. “Got it. I’ll, uh, I’ll get back to you when I come to take your tray.”

He sets it at the gangster’s feet and retreats, the door closing harder than intended in his haste to leave.

_“Why can’t I go to a normal school like other kids my age?”_

_“Normal school?”_

_“Yeah, like the ones on tv. With...with classrooms, and cafeterias and big grass yards-”_

_“Those aren’t real schools,” her venomous voice makes him flinch, arms flying up instinctively to shield his face. “Real schools are full of bad people who fight, do drugs, and ruin their parents lives by getting a bad reputation. You will_ **_never_ ** _go to a ‘normal school’. Go to your room, you ungrateful shit and sit on the floor since you can’t appreciate what you do have. I don’t want to hear a single sound or see your face for the rest of the day.”_

_“I’m so-” he’s on the ground before the words are fully out of his mouth, vision knocked out of focus as his head thumps against the wooden floor. She yanks him to his feet by the wrist and he’s dizzily disoriented as he’s shoved to the stairs, her reedy voice worsening the throbbing of his head as she screams at him to shut up and go to his room._

_Climbing the stairs is difficult, his eyes refusing to focus and he’s scared, his breaths uneven and jagged because why won’t his eyes work? Why are there black spots everywhere? She’s still screaming at him and he has to crawl on all fours, relying on touch to get up the stairs and down the long, long hallway to his room. She’s behind him the entire time, still screaming and spewing insults and he curls into a trembling ball when she slams the door shut, doorframe shaking with the force of it._

**Saturday, October 7** **Afternoon Leisure - 6:00pm, Jeonghan**

A comfortable silence has settled over the room, everyone absorbed in their own little tasks. Jeonghan picks distractedly at his nails, antsy. There’s a muted buzz of excitement beneath his skin and he’s trying to keep his thoughts away from the continuous mantra of _tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow_ that repeats almost subconsciously in the back of his mind. Wonu is reading - Mingyu has his chin hooked over his shoulder and his eyes are on the page as well but he’s hardly reading, more interested in pressing absentminded kisses into his lover’s neck every couple of minutes - Minghao is writing, hunched over at the desk, Vernon had left ten minutes prior for a call, and Soonyoung is lying on his back on the floor, staring at the ceiling as he spins a ring round and round his middle right finger.

Jeonghan’s been watching him do it for a good three minutes from his perch on the top bunk, wrapped loosely in Seungcheol’s blanket, chin resting on his tucked knees. The question is sitting on the tip of his tongue and he ends up blurting: “Where did you get your ring?”

Soonyoung blinks, knocked out of whatever trance like state he’d put himself into, craning his neck to see the brunet. “Huh?”

“Your ring,” Jeonghan nods to where his fingers are now hovering over said ring. “Where’d you get it?”

“Oh,” Soonyoung looks at it and smiles. “It’s actually a couples ring. My partner has a matching one.”

“Your partner?”

“Yeah, Jihoon. He’s who I see in the visitor’s room every Monday. We’ve known each other for what feels like forever and we’ve been together six years come Tuesday.” his smile dims and he presses his lips to the band. “It’ll be our first anniversary apart.”

“Is he…?”

“Yeah. He makes up a fourth of our tech team, prefers to be behind the scenes than in the middle of action.”

“He could still kick any and all of our asses, though.” Mingyu interjects, shivering dramatically. “He’s tiny and terrifying.”

“Damn right he is,” Soonyoung is wearing a proud smile and Jeonghan chuckles.

“Another question,” he says. “For all of you.”

“Ask away.” Soonyoung hums.

“There’s twelve of you, right? How many couples?”

“All but two - S.Coups hyung and our youngest, Chan.” Wonu answers, not looking up from his book.

Minghao gets up from the desk chair, relocating to the bottom bunk. “My partner is Junhui. The person I met in the medical center after S.Coups saved me.”

“Vernon,” Mingyu nods vaguely in the direction of the door. “He’s talking to his boyfriend, Seungkwan. As you already know, Wonu and I are together and the only other couple that didn’t get separated are Jisoo hyung and Seokmin.”

“Yeah, they’re the lucky ones.”

“Lucky ones?” Mingyu counters incredulously, squinting at Soonyoung. “Last I checked, we’re in prison right with you.”

“At least you’re together.” Soonyoung rebuts sulkily, crossing his arms and jutting his bottom lip out.

“You’re a child.”

“I-”

Jeonghan stops the petty fight before it can start by interrupting. “You’ve been dating Jihoon for six years?”

A dopey smile returns to Soonyoung’s face and tiny spark of jealousy pokes at Jeonghan’s heart. He wishes he had someone like this. Someone who looks so stupidly in love at the mere mention of his name. He pushes it away, refuses to let himself linger on that thought for too long. Vernon, who’d heard the inquiry upon reappearing, scoffs.

“Dating. Those two are basically married. Their couple rings are essentially marriage rings.”

“Then why is it on your middle finger?”

“Because their favorite way of showing off their rings is by flipping people off.” Proving his point, Soonyoung gives him the finger, the silver band resting at the base of it catching the light of the setting sun. Vernon rolls his eyes, looking at Jeonghan. “See?”

Jeonghan giggles. “Noted.”

**Lights Out - 9:10pm, Seungcheol**

When Chanyeol opens the door, Seungcheol is pacing the length of the compact room. He taps lightly on the frame three times to announce his presence. Seungcheol looks at him but continues his stilted pacing, only able to take at most three steps before having to turn around and go the other direction. “What?”

“Just, uh, making sure you haven’t destroyed anything else.” his attempt at a joke earns him an unamused stare and Chanyeol nods, averting his eyes. “Ok. I gave Minghao the layout drawing earlier today. I know I said he’d get it yesterday, but I needed a bit more time to make it as detailed as possible. Four more weeks, right? Until everything is good to go?”

“That’s the plan, yeah.” Seungcheol says as he stops pacing. “Everything good on your end?”

“For the most part. I have to get in the modified schedule when no one’s around and keep an eye on it to make sure no changes it. It should be finalized sometime this upcoming week so I’ll let you know through Minghao how that goes.” Chanyeol glance down the hall. “I hear someone coming. I’ll be back in the morning to take you down to breakfast along with JR. Get some sleep.”

The door closes and a lock clicks into place. Seungcheol huffs, dropping down to do pushups. He’s not the slightest bit tired and is becoming more restless and impatient by the second. It’s hanging over him - the knowledge that he only has to stay in the godforsaken cell a few more hours. It hangs over his head and taunts him because the minutes only seem to drag on - the day never ending. He’s done so many pushups, situps - exercises in general - that he’s lost count and yet he can feel all the pent up energy running through his veins. It takes him an exhausting amount of restraint to keep from tearing his cell apart a second time. Chanyeol hadn’t given him another book or any paper or pencils which - while understandable - made the time pass by even slower. 

By the time Seungcheol has managed to wear himself out, he’s done well over a hundred pushups and held a plank until his arms gave out. He’s panting as he falls onto the cot, slinging one arm over his eyes. Sweat rolls from his forehead to his temples and into his hairline. He searches blindly for his discarded shirt with his other hand and uses it to wipe the sweat from his face before tossing it. It lands in the sink with an airy thump. Exhaustion settles over him slowly but surely like a weighted blanket and his breaths even out as he drifts into a restless slumber.

_His fragile world comes crashing down with the words that leave her mouth. His heart stops and he isn’t entirely sure it starts back. His chest is tight and he can’t breathe properly as dread hits him like a tidal wave._

_“Y-you- you’re what?”_

_“Kicking you out.” She says it slowly like she’s speaking to a child. Her tone is final, her eyes cold. “You’re sixteen. You can fend for yourself and we can finally get our lives back.”_

_“But I don’t- I don’t know how to_ **_do_ ** _anything! I’ve never been outside other than the backyard, I’ve never had a job- I barely have an education!”_

_“Don’t raise your voice at me.” She hisses. “None of that is our fault.”_

_“Yes it is!” he’s panicked and enraged and it’s a highly unpleasant mix that has him wanting to crumble into tears and punch this woman - his mother - in the face as well as his cowardly father who stands back and lets her do all the talking. “It’s both of your faults! How am I supposed to survive when I’ve never been allowed out of the house?!”_

_“Figure it out,” she shrugs, casual, as if they’re talking about a trivial matter. His panicked rage turns into terrified desperation._

_“I...I’m your son. Your only son!” he cries, on the verge of hyperventilating. “How can...how can you do this to your own child?”_

_“Let me stop you there.” her voice is venomous and he nearly cowers when she steps toward him, jabbing a finger into his chest. “We are not your parents. I’ve told you countless times that you are a mistake and I_ **_meant it_ ** _. You don’t have parents. Now get out of my house.”_

_“Wai-”_

_“Out!!” she explodes and he flinches, cringing into himself. She starts pushing him toward the front door that he opens silently, revealing the pouring rain of the outside world so foreign to the teen. “This is no longer your home.” he stumbles out onto the front step, falling to his knees. “Don’t come back.” she smiles, the curl of her lip cruel, adding insult to injury. Her last words to him before she slams the door echo like a haunting voice in an empty canyon. “Goodbye, Seungcheol.”_

**Sunday, October 8** **Breakfast - 8:14am, Jeonghan**

Jeonghan’s fork clatters against his tray as he gasps, jerking in his seat like he’s about to stand. Everyone at the table follows his line of sight, curious. The cafeteria quiets as Taeyong, JR, Yongguk, and Seungcheol are escorted through the left handed set of double doors. Their hands are cuffed behind their backs and they all look considerably worse - disheveled and tired as the guards remove their cuffs. Ren grabs Jeonghan’s hand and squeezes. They look at each other and Ren is smiling, excitement shining in his eyes, and Jeonghan can feel his heart thudding against his ribs. He misses the knowing looks the five men share.

The four leaders make their way to their group tables and Ren jumps out of his seat when JR is 15 feet away, running into his arms. The world around disappears in an instant as Ren shamelessly pulls his lover into a kiss. Jeonghan's heart thumps harder and harder the closer Seungcheol gets, biting his lip so hard he tastes blood. Their eyes meet. Seungcheol has bags beneath his eyes and he looks like he's slept a total of thirty minutes in the three days he's been gone but he carries himself no differently - head high and shoulders squared.

He’s greeted loudly by the five men, Soonyoung cheering playfully, but Seungcheol doesn’t so much as spare them a glance. He circles the table and Jeonghan finds himself standing. He steps out of the bench but hesitates. Part of him is screaming for him to ‘ _just hug him!’_ while another part of him wants to wait for Seungcheol to make the first move so he doesn’t step out of line. The gang leader stands a couple feet away and it’s still too far for his liking but he doesn’t make any move to close the gap until Seungcheol speaks.

“Angel.” there’s something different in his voice when he says it this time and Jeonghan’s breath stutters. Seungcheol nods ever so slightly and it’s enough for Jeonghan to fall into his arms with a tiny cry of _“Daddy,”._ He almost starts crying when Seungcheol hugs him, one hand cupping the back of his neck and the other tight around his waist.

Jeonghan glues himself to Seungcheol’s side for the rest of breakfast and through roll call. There's so much going through his mind, so much he wants to tell him starting with the two men he fought off in their cell but the words are stuck in his throat and he just clings to the other. Seungcheol doesn’t protest or seem to have a problem with it if his own unmoving hand around Jeonghan’s waist says anything.

After roll call, Seungcheol tells his men they’ll talk later - the first thing he’s said all morning - and he and Jeonghan go up to their cell. Seungcheol takes a seat in the desk chair and Jeonghan kneels between his legs, laying his head against one thick thigh. Seungcheol looks at him, brings his hand up to run his fingers through the brunet’s hair. Jeonghan visibly relaxes, eyes fluttering closed for a few seconds before he focuses them back on the man above him.

“Miss me?” Seungcheol murmurs, one corner of his mouth lifting into a little smile. It’s not mean like his smiles normally are. There’s nothing mean in this look - nothing intimidating or cruel in his eyes. Jeonghan nods, leaning into the hand that pauses in its petting to cup his cheek.

“Missed you.” he whispers and is shocked when Seungcheol full on smiles. His smile is gummy and innocent and Jeonghan wants to see it again. He smiles back and Seungcheol runs a thumb over where he made himself bleed. Jeonghan pokes his tongue out to lick it and Seungcheol’s eyes darken a bit as he presses his thumb into Jeonghan’s mouth. The brunet suckles happily, a feeling of contentedness washing over him and he closes his eyes.

**Evening roll call - 9:35pm, Jeonghan**

“Christ, you two look like newlyweds.”

The line is said with mock disgust, Mingyu grimacing like the hypocrite he is, draped over Wonu as if he were attached to his back. Jeonghan still blushes at the comment though he makes no move to remove himself from Seungcheol’s hold, smiling when the man draws him closer in response, Seungcheol muttering a half-hearted “Fuck off.”. 

Jeonghan hasn’t seen Ren since breakfast, knows that the blonde is clinging to his boyfriend in much the same fashion Jeonghan is. His brain halts at that thought. Boyfriend. Something Seungcheol is not. But...does he want him to be? It only takes half a second for him to decide that, yes. He wants Seungcheol to be his boyfriend. His heart skips a beat and he wonders just how exactly the man sees him. Is Jeonghan still nothing more than a bitch to him? A ragdoll, a toy, to be used and thrown aside when he was done using him?

His heart sinks. _“You will belong to me and only me as long as I deem you useful.”_ The memory makes Jeonghan nauseous and he glances at Seungcheol’s profile. He has to ask. He doesn’t want to. But he has to.

Seungcheol notices him from the corner of his eye and Jeonghan averts his eyes with a shake of his head when Seungcheol raises a questioning brow. The guard dismisses the prisoners and Jeonghan shivers, leaning further into Seungcheol as a breeze blows through the courtyard. The lingering summer heat of the early autumn days is beginning to die off, nighttime temperatures becoming cooler and cooler with each passing day. 

There’s an anxious flutter in Jeonghan’s chest, worsening the longer they stand there in the courtyard, waiting to go in. Seungcheol picks up on his unsettledness and leans down to whisper. “What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing.”

“Angel,” he grabs the smaller’s chin, making him look up. “I hate liars.”

It’s a warning and Jeonghan bites his lip. “Can I tell you when we get inside? Please?” to his relief, Seungcheol simply nods and their little group makes their way to the doors.

When they get to their cell, Jeonghan walks in first, bracing himself. _‘Confidence,’_ he tells himself. _‘Just be confident.’_ Every shred of confidence he has evaporates the second he turns around and is face to face with Seungcheol. The man is watching him from where he stands next to their cell door and Jeonghan suddenly feels tiny beneath his gaze.

“What are we?” he cringes at his own phrasing, feels like he just stepped into a cheesy drama. Seungcheol tilts his head but his expression doesn’t change. “I mean...am I still just your...your,” Jeonghan doesn’t want to say the word and grimaces when he forces it out. “bitch? Am I just property to you?”

His eyes fall to where he’s subconsciously rubbing the inside of his right wrist. His sleeve is covering the tattoo and another wave of nausea rolls through him. _“You will belong to me and only me for as long as I deem you useful. The second I get bored of you though…”_ He peeks back at Seungcheol who is also eyeing his covered wrist. “Am I?”

Seungcheol doesn’t answer for a long moment. The guard comes by and locks their cell door and the hall lights shut off, casting them in darkness. Moonlight shines weakly through the bars, barely illuminating Seungcheol’s face and forming a soft halo of light behind Jeonghan. They’re still looking at each other, Jeonghan anxiously awaiting and Seungcheol mentally at war with himself.

He’s stubborn. Always has been and always will be. He’s stubborn and in denial of something written so clearly in front of him. Three days had been more than enough for him to realize just how much Jeonghan had somehow managed to ingrain himself in his life, his thoughts, his heart, and now it’s just a matter of coming to terms with and accepting it. One thing Seungcheol has told the brunet again and again in his lesson of confidence, that he’s drilled into his head over the last few weeks, is that they show no weakness. He’s grateful for the cover of night that hides his own weakness, his fears, from Jeonghan’s eyes.

“Daddy, please.” comes Jeonghan’s pleading whimper. He doesn’t want to cry but he’s scared the expanding silence is confirmation of his fears. “Say something, please.”

“Seungcheol.”

“What?” his shallow, uneven breaths drown out the whispered response.

“Seungcheol, Angel. Call me by my name.”

“B-but,”

It takes him two steps to reach the long haired male. He cups a cheek in one hand, swiping away the wetness he feels there with his thumb. Jeonghan keeps his hand there with one of his own. “I’m not good with emotions. It’s damn near impossible for me to open up or express myself. Especially in a romantic way.”

“Romantic...s-so you-?”

“Yes, Angel. You are more than property to me. I want to be with you. Properly.”

Instead of responding, Jeonghan throws his arms around Seungcheol’s shoulders, burying his face in his neck. His nausea makes way into elation and he cries a little in relief and happiness.

It’s odd. How he got here, to this position. From heartbreak and betrayal, to fear and loneliness from his first weeks in prison, to falling for this man in the least conventional of ways. It’s not love, no, but it’s enough to have Jeonghan’s heart skipping beats.

Tonight, when Seungcheol fucks him, it’s not like the times before. Tonight, he’s gentle. For the first time, he lays the brunet on his back instead of taking him on his hands and knees. He’s gentle as he stretches Jeonghan, though the brunet won’t admit he’s become addicted to the rough burn of Seungcheol opening him up with barely slicked fingers. He allows Jeonghan to cling to him as his hips roll into his pliant body, slow and deep, all of his sounds muffled into the skin of Seungcheol’s neck. Tonight, he doesn’t edge the brunet or tease and Jeonghan cums with a sweet cry of _“Daddy,”._ Seungcheol knows he’s blushing as he shyly explains that he still wants to call him that. Tonight, he doesn’t leave Jeonghan to climb into his own bunk and sleep. Rather, he draws half of the blanket over their spooning bodies to cover them and his bicep becomes Jeonghan’s pillow and Jeonghan falls asleep, with a smile, to featherlight kisses being trailed up and down the side of his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I high-key hate the end of this chapter. It feels cliche and cheesy and out of place but it's the best I got. My brain is fried and I can't think of a better way to write this and I just really want to post it. Feel free to leave a comment - I try to respond to every comment I get and they're a huge source of motivation for me. If you haven't yet, please leave a kudos as well. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay happy
> 
> *p.s - the story Hannie tells early in the ch isn't entirely made up. There are actual pics of him playing on a drying rack as a baby that someone showed me which was the inspiration for that*
> 
> Bye babes!!


	7. Countdown - Monday, October 9 7:03am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS EXACTLY 20,000 WORDS.  
> HI HELLO I AM BACK AGAIN WITH THE UNNECESSARILY LONG NOTES BUT BEAR WITH ME AND READ THEM PLS
> 
> Ok so my mental health has been a heckin ROLLERCOASTER lately and I recently moved into my college dorm and I'm trying to figure out classes and stuff and- it's a lot. To say the very least. It took nearly a month after posting the last chapter to get back into a mental state where I could and WANTED to write again. Recently, I've been really excited to work on this final chapter despite how difficult it's been to map it out (read: me overthinking and complicating it). But uh...yeah. This is 20,000 words and I can't wait to read y'all's reactions.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I DON'T KNOW SOUTH KOREAN GEOGRAPHY (I barely remember american geography) HENCE WHY DESCRIPTIONS OF REAL PLACES ARE PAINFULLY VAGUE. I DO RESEARCH STUFF TO SOME EXTENT BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME (or patience) TO LEARN THE LAYOUT OF A COUNTRY FOR THE SAKE OF FICTION. BESIDES, THE STORY SETTINGS ARE PURPOSEFULLY CREATED TO BE PART REALITY, PART FICTION WITH EMPHASIS ON THE FICTION IN ORDER TO GIVE MYSELF MORE CREATIVE LIBERTY WITH MY LOCATION DESCRIPTIONS.
> 
> Without further ado, here is the final chapter to Broken Chains! Thank you all so much for all the love you've given this story, for every comment and kudos.
> 
> Thank you to my lovely Mitchelle for being the best little helper in the entire world! 
> 
> (I've proofread this the best I can while writing but that's a lotta words so I'm bound to miss something - be gentle with me and just ignore mistakes pls)
> 
> Enjoy babes!!!

“Minki-yah,”

Ren stirs, a barely audible mix of a groan and whine leaving his slightly parted lips. He’s comfortable, warm and sluggish with the remnants of sleep, and he’ll be damned if he has to move. A chuckle, soft and deep, rumbles the chest he’s curled against and he nuzzles further into JR’s neck.

“Baby, you can’t fall back asleep.”

“‘m not.” his words are slurred and his eyelids are heavy, contradicting the statement. The hand on his waist slips beneath his shirt, caressing over his belly and sides. Ren squirms a bit as JR’s fingertips brush his ribs, whining and jutting his lip in protest. “Don’ tickle me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” JR murmurs, teasing. His lips brush the blonde’s temple and he holds him a bit tighter. “Wake up, my love. We’ll have to go down to breakfast soon.”

“Fuck breakfast.” it’s the most coherent thing he’s said all morning and JR chuckles. Ren sits up and shifts so that he’s straddling his boyfriend’s hips. He lays back down like that, hugging JR’s waist, turning sulky. “I just got you back, I don’t wanna share.”

“Who says you’re sharing?”

“I don’t want anyone to look at you.” Ren counters, petulant.

JR hums, amused. “Isn’t that a bit selfish of you, baby?”

Ren answers without skipping a beat. “You’re mine and I’ll gouge their fucking eyes out.”

“Half asleep but still making threats, I see. I really did miss you, baby.”

“Damn right you did.” he squeaks, jerking and lifting his head to glare, pout deepening, when his side gets pinched. “I missed you too, meanie.”

His pout is kissed away and Ren melts into his lover’s touch. The kiss deepens and Ren finds himself laid on his back with JR hovering above him. The older male pulls away to smile softly down at him, hands slowly pushing his shirt up off of his stomach. Kisses are traced from his forehead, to his cheeks, jawline and neck where JR teases at his collarbone, sucking the skin between his teeth. A breathy sigh falls from the blonde’s lips and he cups the back of his boyfriend’s head to keep him there.

JR kisses at the dark bruise that forms, blowing cool air over it to hear Ren’s sweet little moan. He noses his way back up to nip at the younger’s earlobe, hands still wandering over the exposed skin of Ren’s chest and stomach as he whispers. “What was it you said earlier? Fuck breakfast?”

Ren nods, eyes half-lidded and already well on his way to being completely breathless. JR kisses him again, seemingly intent on stealing every bit of air in his lungs as he pins him to the bed, grinding down. Ren breaks the kiss with a broken gasp and JR licks at his kiss swollen lips, panting lightly, a playful glint in his eye as he sits up to remove his own shirt.

“Ok.”

“Oh yeah, Coups hyung, Angel here has something to tell you.”

Jeonghan’s cheeks flame as he becomes the center of attention, fork paused mid way to his mouth. He sets it back on the tray, staring Mingyu down with a look of _“Why? Why would you do this to me?”_ . Predictably, Mingyu only smiles back with his own look of _“Go on.”._ The other men are of no use either, Soonyoung gesturing for him to hurry up. His blush deepens when he looks to his left and meets Seungcheol’s curious but amused eye.

“What is it?”

“It has to do with the fight.”

Seungcheol tenses and his hand tightens on Jeonghan’s hip as his expression becomes serious, turning hard eyes on his men. “What happened?”

Jeonghan impulsively flinches a bit at his commanding tone. The movement is barely noticeable but Seungcheol still somehow catches it and, though he’s still glaring expectantly at the others, he gives Jeonghan’s hip a slight squeeze, slipping his thumb beneath the fabric of the brunet’s shirt and rubbing light circles into the skin there.

“We think you should hear it from Jeonghan,” Soonyoung gestures, still smiling. “You’ll be very proud of your little Angel.”

All of the attention is on him a second time and Jeonghan is tempted to take his hair out of its ponytail so he can hide behind the long strands. Seungcheol still wears an expectant look but it softens when his eyes land on the smaller male and even his voice is gentler when he speaks. “Tell me.”

Jeonghan stares down at his lap as he answers shyly. “I fought two guys.”

“Two?!” Seungcheol growls, narrowing his eyes at Minghao and Wonu. His jaw is clenched and he’s furious, about to tear into the two men when Jeonghan stops him with a hand on his chest.

“It’s not their fault, daddy.” He intervenes quickly. “They had been up there waiting before the fight even started - Minghao and Wonu did nothing wrong.”

“Let him finish talking you fucking geyser, there’s more.” Soonyoung scolds.

Seungcheol huffs but says nothing and Mingyu tells Jeonghan to continue. The brunet glances nervously at the silently fuming gang leader then at Soonyoung who gives an eagerly reassuring nod. “Um, someone grabbed me from behind and I used what Hoshi taught me in one of our lessons. I stomped on his foot and-”

“You _broke_ his foot.”

Jeonghan winces, shaking his head as if trying to physically rid himself of the memory of the sickening crunch that echoes in his ears. “I don’t know about that but it didn’t sound pleasant.”

“Aish, let him finish talking,” Minghao mutters, smacking Soonyoung’s arm. “It’ll take him hours to tell if you keep interrupting.”

“Continue, Angel.” Seungcheol murmurs and Jeonghan nods.

“Um, I stomped on his foot and elbowed him and he let me go but another guy had been hiding up there as well.”

“Tell him what you did to that one.” Soonyoung says excitedly, nearly bouncing in his seat with the energy of a little kid who’s had too much candy. Seungcheol glares at him but he pays the leader no mind and Jeonghan can see that he’s restraining himself from recounting the story himself. Jeonghan peeks up at Seungcheol again, gaining a bit more confidence from the reactions of the surrounding men.

“Minghao says I probably broke his nose,” Seungcheol’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise at this and Jeonghan preens internally. “He came at me and tried to hit me but I dodged and kicked him in the knee then kneed him in the face. I ended up having to use the “eyeball” thing on the first guy cause he tried to grab me again and the second guy grabbed my leg and made me fall. That’s when I screamed and Minghao came up to help.”

“I wouldn’t say I helped.” Minghao disagrees, smiling lightly. “You did most of the work, I just finished what you’d started by knocking him out.”

“Aren’t you proud of him, hyung?” Vernon asks with a proud smile. “Scared shitless but still kicking ass.”

“Who gives a fuck if he’s proud? _My_ lessons are paying off.” Soonyoung says smugly and Mingyu scoffs in opposition.

“Your lessons? _My_ training is paying off.”

The entire table releases a unison sigh as they start bickering and everyone tunes out the senseless arguing. When Jeonghan looks back at Seungcheol, he isn’t expecting the smile he’s met with. It’s not the cute, gummy one he saw for the first time the previous day. This one is small, like a secret meant only for him, and he returns it shyly, a bubbly sense of satisfaction swelling in his chest knowing that the man is pleased with him. The hand on his waist tightens, drawing him closer as Seungcheol leans to whisper in his ear.

“I am proud of you, Angel.”

**Visitor Room 10 - 9:47am, Jeonghan**

“What’s got you all smiley, Han?” his father is beaming at him from the other side of the glass. He’s visiting alone today and Jeonghan ignores the bitter twinge in the back of his mind, not letting her absence ruin the good mood he’s in. Jeonghan shrugs, still smiling.

“Just in a good mood today, I guess.”

“You really did make friends, didn’t you?” Mr. Yoon’s smile doesn’t falter at all, his question judgement free, and Jeonghan nods.

“I did. I really did, dad, and they’re not horrible people.”

“I know, Han. You don’t have to defend them to me. I trust your judgement and they’ve taken care of you thus far so if anything, I owe them my thanks.”

“Coups hyung, we need to talk.” 

Seungcheol looks up at the five men as they enter the cell, brows furrowing as they form a semi circle around where he sits at the desk. “What about? You guys are walkin in here like you’re about to jump me.”

“About Jeonghan.” Mingyu says.

“What abo-”

“He’s coming with us.” Soonyoung cuts him off, a note of finality in his voice leaving no room for argument. Seungcheol makes a sound of understanding, the reason behind their serious expressions dawning on him. Instead of answering right away, Seungcheol leans back in the desk chair, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He takes in his men, glancing over each and every one of them. They all share the same determined face and he tries not to let his amusement show as the silence over them stretches. Mingyu is - predictably - first to take the bait.

“We don’t know exactly what went down between you two and, honestly, we don’t care. There’s no way we can leave him behind like we originally planned. He’s our friend now and we don’t leave friends behind.”

“He might be nothing more than a toy to you but whether you like it or not, he’s grown on us.” Soonyoung adds and the rest nod their agreement. Seungcheol chuckles softly.

“I don’t know why you’re arguing when I’ve not even said anything.”

“Because-”

It’s Seungcheol’s turn to cut Soonyoung off with the lift of his hand. “Ok.” he’s given five expectant looks and shrugs, casual. “Ok, he can come with us. I want him to come, too.”

Soonyoung’s eyebrows shoot up, disappearing behind his hair. “Oh. Well that went much smoother than expected.”

Instantly, the atmosphere becomes more relaxed as the five men take various seats around the room, Seungcheol internally scoffing at the quick change. He uncrosses his arms, assuming a more laid back position.

“Now that that’s decided,” Vernon segways, slumped against the wall. “You good, hyung?”

Seungcheol nods, a single dip of his head. “I’m fine.”

“Are you really? You know you don’t have to cover up in front of us.” Minghao persists gently. “Chanyeol hyung told me about you trashing your cell the day it rained.”

His jaw just barely clenches at the memory and they all spot it. Soonyoung speaks up.

“You don’t need to tell us what happened. We just want to know that you’re good now. Truthfully.”

“You haven’t fallen off the map like before but I’m not making any assumptions that you’re actually ok.” Wonu adds. “But what I will assume is that we have Jeonghan hyung to thank for that.”

Seungcheol is clearly not expecting this statement and his face gives him away. He doesn’t answer right away - doesn’t confirm or deny the cat-eyed male - but he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t have to because he knows that his men can read him like an open book. They’re the only ones who can. The only ones who know what his ticks are, how to piss him off, how to cheer him up, how to ground him when he needs it. His answer is given through his silence.

"What exactly happened between you guys, though?" Mingyu asks. "We've only been joking but has he actually melted that icy heart of yours?"

"Ha ha," Seungcheol responds sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

"No, but really," Vernon says. "What changed?"

Seungcheol goes quiet this time, averting his gaze and shrugging again.

“Hold on, did _the_ Choi Seungcheol - the man whose stare will make people fall to their knees and beg for their life - just look away? And _shrug?_ Like a shy student with a crush?” Mingyu demands exaggeratedly with an overly dramatic gasp. “Or do my eyes deceive me?”

“Close your mouth, you look like a fish.” Minghao’s comment has everyone bursting into laughter, Mingyu’s mouth falling open wider as he gapes at the Chinese man.

“And what did I do to warrant THAT attack?”

Minghao shakes his head. “Just wanted to say it. It’s true.”

“Rude.”

“You done?” Seungcheol’s arms are crossed again but he’s clearly entertained. Mingyu sits back with a pout and Wonu pats his shoulder, the reassurance of his touch lost because he’s still laughing. “As you guys could already tell, things have changed between me and Jeonghan.”

“Talking about me behind my back?” Heads turn and Vernon catches the brief lift of Seungcheol’s lips as Jeonghan makes his presence known with the playful remark. He and Ren enter the cell, the brunet beelining right for the leader who pulls him onto his lap. “I heard my name?”

“You wanna tell them, Angel?”

Jeonghan looks at Seungcheol curiously. “Tell them what?”

“About...” Mingyu gestures wildly at them. “this!”

“Oh,”

“Oh? That’s it??”

“Careful, he’s gonna blow a fuse.” Vernon says amusedly and Jeonghan giggles. 

“There’s not much to tell. Seungcheol and I are dating.”

“ _Not much to tell?! There’s so much more to te-”_

Soonyoung clamps a hand over Mingyu’s mouth, smiling at Jeonghan. “All in due time. We’re just glad hyung finally pulled his head out of his ass.”

“You’re about to have to pull my foot out of yours.”

“Tempting, but I am a taken man.” Soonyoung replies with a faux pout. “The only foot allowed near this ass is my Jihoonie’s.”

Mingyu slaps Soonyoung’s hand away from his mouth, wiping his lips with the back of his hand and scowling. “Gross.”

“Kinky.” Ren remarks from Jeonghan’s bed, drawing the attention to himself. He smirks at his friend. “So much for cutting his dick off, huh?”

Jeonghan chokes on his spit and there are several “What?”s all said in varying inflections - from confusion to amusement to horror. The blond bursts into mischievous laughter as Jeonghan’s cheeks flame, stuck between wanting to laugh and wanting to hide away in embarrassment. He settles for a mix of both, hiding his giggles in the crook of Seungcheol’s neck. One of the man’s arms winds around his waist and Jeonghan will be six feet under before he admits the way this simple action makes his heart flutter like some teenage girl in a high school drama. His life is movie-like enough.

Ren successfully manages to change topics amidst the chaos of laughter and questions, random conversation continuing until the lunch bell sounds. Jeonghan stands from Seungcheol’s lap but is halted mid-step by the man. Ren wiggles his brows at him as he leaves and Jeonghan narrows his eyes for a brief second before turning his attention to Seungcheol.

“What was that about cutting my dick off?”

Jeonghan points accusingly at the empty cell entrance. “Blame that little minx. When I first met Baekhyun, Sehun, and Xiumin hyung, he told them that I’d cut off your dick - or my own, he said either or - before I fell for you.” He explains and Seungcheol nods his understanding. Jeonghan turns a sweet smile on him then, shoulders lifting in a small shrug. “Guess he was wrong.”

**Tuesday, October 10** **Visitor Room 9 - 10:10am, Soonyoung**

They’ve been sitting in silence for the majority of their allotted thirty minutes. Sitting in silence, watching each other. Soonyoung sulkingly with his head laid on crossed arms as he stares at his lover through the glass divider and Jihoon with a rarely shown look of pure, unadulterated love as he rests his chin on one propped up hand and thumbs absentmindedly at his ring on the other.

From the moment Soonyoung had entered the visitor room, no more than a few words had been said and those words had been from the guard escorting him. Soonyoung stretches one arm out until his ring clinks against the glass and Jihoon’s eyes leave his for the first time to look at it. He moves his own hand closer, his ring making a similar ‘clink’ directly across from his boyfriend’s. The tiniest, saddest smile quirks the corners of Soonyoung’s lips as they now turn to watching their rings in silence.

There are words, so many words they could say, but they know they’re thinking the same thing. Their “I miss you”s were communicated in their longing stares when their eyes first met. Their desires to touch, hold, and kiss each other translated in Soonyoung’s pout and Jihoon’s almost silent sighs. Yes, there are words to be said, but they’ve already said them.

When the guard returns to say that their time is up, the couple is slow to react. Slow to tear their eyes away from their shiny rings, slow to acknowledge the impatient guard. Soonyoung sits up but makes no move to stand until the man at the door becomes huffy, threatening to pull him out of the chair himself.

“Young-ah,” Jihoon murmurs.

They stare at each other a few seconds longer before whispering in unison. “I love you.”

“Happy anniversary, my love.” Soonyoung says softly, bringing his ring to his lips. “We’ll have a proper celebration soon.”

Jihoon nods and they kiss the silver bands in sync. “Soon.”

**Thursday, October 12** **Unidentified location - 3:17pm**

“If you pace across this room one more time, I’m throwing you out of a window.”

Seungkwan looks to where Chan is scowling at him from behind his laptop. He rolls his eyes. “There are no windows on this floor.”

“Fine. The roof.”

Seungkwan pouts. “What are you so touchy for?”

“You’ve been pacing for the better part of twenty minutes and I can’t concentrate cause it’s making me anxious.” the younger man grumbles, shutting the laptop. “I’m supposed to be tracking this delivery but I can’t even focus because of you.”

Seungkwan sighs, shuffling over to flop on the couch next to Chan, throwing his leg over the younger’s lap. Chan’s scowl deepens and he puts his laptop off to the side but doesn’t bother pushing Seungkwan’s leg away. “I’m sorry, but I can’t be the only one.”

“The only one what?”

“The only one who feels so...restless? I dunno. Most everything is in place and for the most part we just have to wait and the wait is excruciating. I don’t like knowing that the only thing we can do for the next few weeks is wait. Time seems to have slowed now that we’re getting so close.” Seungkwan complains, rubbing a hand over his face. “There’s literally nothing else to do right now and I hate it.”

Chan nods slowly in agreement. “I mean...yeah, I get where you’re coming from but what is pacing gonna do to help?”

“Aish,” Seungkwan lifts his leg a bit, bringing it back down in a tiny kick on the younger male’s lap. “It helps with this pent up energy I have now that we’re just sitting around.”

“If you were smart,” the two men turn their heads as Jihoon enters the room with his arms crossed over his chest. “You’d be resting as much as possible because we’ll have a shit ton more work to do after the second.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not the second now is it?” Seungkwan fires back snarkily and Jihoon mimics the face made at him. The younger is forced to sit up, Jihoon motioning for him to do so with a flick of his wrist before taking the now open seat. Seungkwan leans back on Jihoon, body stretched across his friends. “Besides, the only “work” I’ll be doing is my Vernonie. It’s been far too long.”

“We get it, you need to get laid.” Jihoon grumbles and Seungkwan gives an upside down glare.

“As if you won’t be glued to Hoshi hyung’s dick for the next week.”

“WE GET IT - YOU’RE BOTH IN RELATIONSHIPS AND DEPRIVED.” Chan exclaims to drown out any further retorts and Jihoon snorts.

“Deprived.” he repeats, tone dripping with sarcasm and judgement. “Says the single one.”

“I’m not the only single one!” the youngest protests as if it helps his case.

“Yes because that makes any difference.” Seungkwan mocks and Chan shoves his leg off his lap. “Hey!”

“Hey yourself, asshole. I’m _not_ the only single one. Cheol hyung is single too!”

**Saturday, October 14** **Afternoon leisure - 1:59pm, Jeonghan**

If he’s being honest with himself, the question has never really gone away. It’s been here since day one, niggling in the back of his mind. Sure he’s forgotten a few times, distracted by training, workouts, - trauma -, internal conflicts, everything really. The far too normal feeling hangouts that have him forgetting that he’s in prison - that pull his mind away from the fact that these men are still criminals. They’re gangsters, _“Cold-blooded killers”,_ and he still doesn’t know the story behind their arrest.

Now, part of him...part of him is scared to ask. He doesn’t want knowing to potentially reshape how he views the six men and Nu’est. He’s afraid reality will bring this ironically safe little world of his crashing down and taint one of the best friendships he’s ever had. That same part of him still feels as if it’s not his place to ask. The other part of him - the part that has become attached to these men, that trusts them and knows that no matter what, he’s not going anywhere; the part that became fiercely defensive over them at his mother’s judgment - finds it stupid he’s even worried his perception might change and - _‘You’re dating their leader for God’s sake. Just ask the fucking question.’_

He’s startled back into present time by Soonyoung calling his name, hand waving in his face. Jeonghan blinks several times, staring confusedly back at the annoyed man. They’re in the outdoor gym for the first time in what feels like forever, slowly falling back into the routine of his daily trainings. Jeonghan is grateful for this and - much to his own surprise - eager to return to some sense of new found normalcy. He’s spent too many days holed up in his cell and decided this morning during roll call that he wanted to learn more self defense today. The weather is nice, too. It’s a windy day, finally cool enough for them to wear their uniform jackets without breaking a sweat in five minutes.

“What’s going on with you?” Soonyoung asks, hands on his hips. “You keep spacing out.”

“Oh, I,” Jeonghan shrugs, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I dunno. It’s nothing.”

Soonyoung deadpans. “Mhm. You know I don’t believe that, right?”

“Yeah,” Jeonghan sighs and the other male takes a seat at the wooden table, beckoning Jeonghan over. The brunet follows, slumping once he sits. He picks at a loose thread in his uniform pants, eyes downcast.

“You wanna talk about it? It’s gotta be something serious if it’s got all your attention cause you were the one who wanted to pick back up with training.”

“I know. And I do. It’s really no big deal; I just need to get out of my own head.”

“I’m not taking bullshit for an answer, hyung.”

“Hyung?”

Soonyoung quirks a brow as if confused by Jeonghan’s confusion. “What?”

“You...just called me ‘hyung’.”

“Yeah. Why, do you not want me to? I thought we were past stranger formalities.” he says teasingly.

“No, you can, I just-” Jeonghan’s mouth opens and closes a couple times as he tries to formulate a response through his shock. It’s just a word - one he has heard many a time - but it has never garnered this kind of response coming from anyone else. Aside from the initial shock and surprise, there is a strange and nearly overwhelming mix of happiness and devastation at hearing Soonyoung call him ‘hyung’.

“Shit, why are you- I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Soonyoung is wiping his cheeks with both thumbs, his face one of panicked concern, eyebrows knitted and lifted. “Cheol hyung is gonna kill me and I don’t even know what I did.”

Jeonghan lets out a watery giggle at that, batting away the man’s hands. He swipes beneath his own eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, sniffing. “Calm down you dork, I’m fine.”

“Why the hell did you start crying??”

Jeonghan looks away, cheeks tinting. “I’m happy.”

“Happy? Who _cries_ when they’re happy? I’m so confused.”

“I’m happy because you called me hyung,” Jeonghan explains, swatting Soonyoung’s hand when it reaches out again to wipe a stray tear. “It made me happy.”

“So happy that you cried? I...you’re losing me here.”

“You’re infuriating.”

“I’ve been told.”

Jeonghan huffs, rolling his eyes. “If I wasn’t crying I’d slap that shit eating grin off your face. I’m crying because it also made me sad.”

“Ho-”

“Because it’s not fair!”

Soonyoung’s smile drops at the sudden mood swing. He scoots closer to the brunet, voice lowering as he turns serious. “What isn’t fair?”

Jeonghan presses the heels of his hands into his eyes to ward off further tears as devastation overrides his happiness. This is something else that’s been in the back of his mind; another thing he hasn’t wanted to think or talk about. He takes a few deep breaths to compose himself, waiting until he’s sure he’ll be able to speak without bursting right back into tears. But when he finally uncovers his face and sees the expression on Soonyoung’s, his eyes burn again.

“Let’s go inside, yeah?” Soonyoung glances around, not wanting to draw attention to the brunet. He lowers his voice further. “We’ll try again either later on or tomorrow, but this is clearly more important.”

Jeonghan nods. He allows himself to be led back into the building and is immediately consumed by his thoughts again; body going on autopilot as they walk through the halls, through the cafeteria and upstairs, down the hallway, until he’s curled up in a familiar set of muscular arms. Soonyoung briefly explains the situation to the other men as Jeonghan tucks his face into the crook of Seungcheol’s neck, only nodding when asked if he’s ok.

“Tell us what’s wrong, Angel. What made you so upset out there?”

Jeonghan is torn between wanting to tell them and not saying anything at all. He knows that the second he opens his mouth to explain himself, it’ll all come spilling out and he isn’t sure if this is something he wants to face right now. _‘If not now, then when?’_ He looks around the cell, at the five men who look back at him with concern, with worry, with looks he’d have never imagined directed toward him his first day. He scans the room, wondering when this place, this cell, these people started to feel more like home than the one he’d been ripped from some months ago.

“I don’t want to leave you guys.” his words come out a whisper and everyone leans forward simultaneously in an attempt to hear. Seungcheol’s fingers press lightly into his side and he clears his throat, raising his voice. “I don’t want to leave you guys.” he closes his eyes, heart in his throat as he continues, not wanting to see their reactions lest he cry again. “I know it’s ridiculous to even be thinking about but I can’t help it. I can’t help but thinking that when I get out, I probably won’t ever see you guys again and it’s stupid but I can’t - I can’t help it. I hate thinking that outside of this hellhole, I never even would have met all of you and Nu’est and I hate that this is how things are playing out, that this of all ways is how we met. I-”

Jeonghan cuts himself off, inhaling and exhaling shakily. He opens his eyes, sitting up and looking directly at Seungcheol who quirks a brow. “I want to know what happened the night you guys got arrested. I’ll - I’ll tell you my story too, but I want to know.”

There’s a sharp intake of breath from somewhere behind him but he keeps his eyes on Seungcheol, waiting. The gang leader exchanges unreadable glances with his men and Jeonghan subconsciously draws his bottom lip between his teeth as silence comes over the cell. Then, Seungcheol chuckles, the sound rumbling deep within his chest. It's not his mean laugh - the mirthless, angry one that once sent shivers down Jeonghan’s spine. No. He sounds amused. He’s smirking too and, again, it’s not the cruel twist of his lip when he has Jeonghan on his knees, face drenched in tears and spit. Instead, he looks like he’s trying to keep from fully smiling.

“Trying to negotiate, Angel? I don’t know. Can someone as pure as you handle knowing?”

Jeonghan huffs, slightly miffed at the teasing. He shoves at Seungcheol’s chest. “I’m not pure.”

“Mm, you’re right. Someone pure wouldn’t call their boyfriend da-” Jeonghan clamps a hand over his mouth, a protesting whine leaving his lips as his face heats up.

“If you two could stop flirting, that’d be great.” Mingyu mutters, rolling his eyes.

“As if you’re any better.” Wonu retorts softly and Soonyoung snorts so hard it sounds painful. Vernon curls his lips over his teeth in an attempt to keep from laughing and Minghao covers his smile with a hand over his mouth as Mingyu turns a look of betrayal on his lover, retracting his arm from where it was wrapped around Wonu’s shoulders.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on _my_ side?” he argues.

“Not when you’re being a hypocrite.”

“Even my own boyfriend has turned against me,” Mingyu bemoans, clutching at his heart and slowly falling over. “Goodbye, cruel world.”

Everyone merely stares as he “dies”, exasperatedly fond, and Wonu clears his throat. “Anyway, where were we?”

Mingyu splutters indignantly and Ren enters the room as they fall into another round of petty laughter. “What did I miss?”

“Aside from Mingyu being himself, we were actually having a somewhat serious talk before you came.” Vernon informs the blond who takes residence on Jeonghan’s bed, tucking his knees up to his chest and resting his chin atop them.

“About?”

“He wants to know what happened the night we got arrested.” Seungcheol says and Jeonghan frowns as Ren’s expression turns wary.

“Why do you want to know, Hannie?”

“I’ve been wondering from day one, really, when you very vaguely told me how you all ended up in here. Why do you look so worried?” his frown deepens and he stands from Seungcheol’s lap to sit next to his friend.

“Because Han...I don’t want you to look at us any differently. I don’t want you to be scared of us or hate us, even.” Ren admits. “Just like you said we’re the best out of any friends you’ve had, you’ve become my best friend and I don’t want us telling you to change that.”

Jeonghan knocks against him gently, wrapping his friend in a one-armed hug. “It won’t change anything. I don’t hate you and there’s nothing you can do to make me.” though it’s said to reassure the blond, Jeonghan knows it’s true. He’s only known these men for two or so months but it feels like they’ve been his friends for years. He trusts them with his life and why shouldn’t he? They’ve saved it more than once. “Besides, what is it you said to me my first day? Us pretty boys have to stick together? I’m not going anywhere.”

“So...are we telling him?” Vernon looks to Seungcheol for affirmation - they all do - and he gives one slow nod, bracing his elbows on his knees and interlocking his fingers.

The atmosphere of the room shifts, growing heavy, and Jeonghan hates the way his heart is racing. He tries to discreetly take a few deep breaths to calm it but Ren notices and grabs his hand, squeezing it slightly. They share a glance and Ren offers a tiny, close lipped, reassuring smile.

“So this happened...when? Last November?” Soonyoung starts and there are low murmured assent around the room. “We get a call from our informant at the time that a certain shipment we’ve been having some trouble tracking and keeping an eye on will arrive at 2:15 in the morning that Tuesday.”

“Normally, we would fact check any and all information given to us from outside resources,” Wonu tacks on. “But this shipment was so difficult to keep track of that we took his word for it immediately. Anything to finally get our hands on it.”

**_Approx. 11 months ago - 11:59pm, Unidentified location_ **

“S.Coups hyung,”

Seungcheol looks over his shoulder from where he’s leaning over a map laid out on the meeting table, Jisoo and Vernon on either side of him. “Yes, Jihoon?” he acknowledges, straightening and turning. Jihoon enters the room, beelining to the tech wall and pulling something up on one of the computers. Seungcheol joins him, looking curiously at the map.

“Finally got a call from Jongmin thirty minutes ago. Says he got something about that ecstasy shipment we’ve been trying to track.” A picture of the Kojung seaport is brought up and Jihoon points a finger to it, looking at Seungcheol. “He says it’s to arrive at Kojung seaport in three days. 2:15 in the morning.”

“Three days from now.” Seungcheol echoes, fingers tapping at his chin. “Kojung is at least a half a day's trip so we’ll be leaving sometime in the afternoon on Monday to reach the docks by 11 or midnight at the latest.” he presses a button on the side of his watch, bringing the device to his lips. “Everyone get to the meeting room, we’ve got some intel.”

“Wait, you don’t want me to check this first?” Jihoon asks.

“Check for what? Hoon, this is the best lead we’ve gotten in weeks. What else is there to find other than breadcrumbs?” 

“Are you sure?”

“Do you think we need to?”

Jihoon purses his lips in contemplation before shrugging. “I mean, you’re right. This is the best we’ve gotten for weeks but it just feels...wrong?, I guess, to not double or even triple check.”

“We don’t have much of a choice but to lean more on hope than facts right now. You know how much Wonu needs this.” There’s the sound of rushed footfalls in the hallway and Seungcheol puts a hand on Jihoon’s shoulder. “If anything goes wrong, you already know I take full blame for it.”

“Yeah, well let’s hope nothing goes wrong.”

They turn away from the wall of screens as the meeting room floods with the rest of the members who immediately take seats and Seungcheol huffs out a silent breath as he stands at the head of the table. Jihoon sits in the open chair on Soonyoung's right.

“What’s the intel?” Mingyu questions. The seriousness in his tone contrasts the brightness of his eyes; an excitedly sick, sadistic hunger clear in the brown orbs.

“Jihoon got a message from Jongmin that the shipment is to arrive at Kojung seaport on Tuesday morning. 2am.” Seungcheol starts off, nodding to the smaller man. “Obviously we try to fact check everything we’re told but as we all know, intel on this has been damn near impossible to find and keep up with so this is the best we got.”

“So he finally stopped being pissy about his payout?” Soonyoung asks with a quirked brow.

“I would assume so,” Jihoon says though he looks unsure. “He’s stopped acting like a child who hasn’t gotten his way.”

“This….” Minghao sits back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest. “This doesn’t sound sketchy to you? He’s gone silent on us for weeks and he suddenly pops back up with intel?”

“It does, but like I said, it’s literally impossible to double check anything he’s told us.” 

“We’re going.”

The center of attention switches to Wonu and his quiet murmur. “What was that, Wonu?”

“We’re going.” the cat-eyed man repeats, a look of steely determination on his face. “This could very well be a set up but it’s a chance I’m willing to take to kill those bastards.”

Everyone turns back to Seungcheol, waiting for the final answer. He meets Wonu’s eye and while the other man’s expression is a clear, silent challenge, he can see just how much he wants this - _needs this_ \- to be real. 

“Jihoon, call Nu’est and tell them to come as soon as possible so we can make a plan. Soonyoung, Wonu, Mingyu, Vernon, and Minghao, you’re coming along. Any objections?”

“Does Nonie have to go?” comes Seungkwan’s soft protest and when Seungcheol looks over, the younger male is holding onto his boyfriend's arm with downcast eyes.

“Kwan-ah.” he waits until the other lifts his head. “You know why I need him.”

“I’ll be fine, Boo,” Vernon whispers, gently bumping Seungkwan’s chin with a crooked finger. He leans in to peck his pouted lips. “We will be there and back in no time.”

***

“So we left that Monday afternoon, took two of our vans, and headed down to Kojung seaport. As planned, we reached the area just before midnight which gave us a couple hours to check out our surroundings and make any necessary changes to our loosely formulated plan.” Ren continues. “But little did we know, and we would only learn this three months into this prison sentence, there was no shipment. And our informant was busy trying to play another game.”

**_Approx. 11 months ago - 1:06am, Kojung seaport_ **

“Everyone in position?” Seungcheol’s voice comes crackling through the watches. He waits a moment for the responding affirmations before continuing. “We’ve got about an hour and a half before landfall. Stay in your positions and - yes, Giant, this is targeted toward you - don’t fall asleep. We need to stay on alert at all times.”

“It was one time!” Mingyu whisper-screams. Though only his voice can be heard, the pout he’s wearing is clear in it and Seungcheol chuckles.

“And it was one time too many. Keep your eyes open.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

**_Unidentified location, 1:57am_ **

_*ring* *ring *ring*_

Jihoon grabs his phone, checking the caller ID with a scowl that quickly morphs into confused interest when he sees who it is. Jisoo is raising a questioning brow at him from where he sits a few feet away, methodically scanning each screen from top to bottom before starting over again. Jihoon puts the device on speaker, setting it on the table beside him as he continues his own task.

“What is it Jongmin?”

“Such a rude way to greet someone who just gave you extremely valuable information.”

“You say that as if we’re indebted to you.” Jihoon counters, glaring at his phone screen.

“Well, you are in a way.”

“You know the deal. We get what we want, you get your money, and we still have half an hour until landfall.”

Jongmin sucks in air through his teeth and both Jihoon and Jisoo freeze, tensing as they stare at the call screen. “You see...about that. Uh...I’m still not fully on board with my payment total.”

Jihoon’s hands curl into fists where they hover above his keyboard. “You agreed to the total when we made the deal two months ago.” he hisses through clenched teeth. “You shook on it knowing all deals are final. No negotiations.”

“Yeah but I also didn’t expect it to take this long-”

“None of us did but you don’t see us complaining.”

“Let me finish, would you?” Jongmin snaps and Jihoon has to keep himself from hanging up right then and there. “As I was saying, I didn’t expect it to take so long so it is only fair that my pay increase because of all this extra time and effort wasted trying to help you all.”

“No.”

“You might want to rethink that answer.”

Jihoon and Jisoo make eye contact and the latter nods, getting up and beginning to walk away as he speaks lowly and quickly into his watch. “And why is that?”

“Oh, Woozi. I know you’re smart. If you raise my pay by - I’ll be thoughtful here - say, two million won, then I’ll call off the police headed right to your buddies saying that I was misinformed.”

Jihoon’s blood turns to ice. “You son of a-”

“Ah, ah, ah. I’m not finished.”

“Fuck. You.” Jihoon growls, ending the call. Jisoo calls for his attention, jogging back over to the computers.

“I don’t know what’s going on but I can’t get a signal from them. Something at the seaport is interfering with it. There’s no way to-”

Jihoon’s phone buzzes again and he nearly throws it across the room but Jisoo snatches it from him and answers. “What in the hell do you want now?” 

“Oh and who is this? Josh, I believe you told me. Yes, well, before I was so rudely hung up on, I was going to say that you have about two minutes to change your-”

“ _No_. And I promise you, you’re fucking dead for this.”

“Hmmm,” he makes a skeptical sound and Jihoon already knows exactly what bullet he wants to put through this one’s head. “We’ll see about that. That warehouse of yours doesn’t happen to have locks on it now does-”

The phone screen shatters as it hits the opposite wall.

“Diva, Dino, Moon, DK get your asses to the meeting room now.” Jihoon commands into the watch, glancing at their screens just in time to see several cars with their headlights off roll into view. “Jisoo, shut it down.”

The eldest man nods, fingers moving rapidly over his keyboard and the summoned men enter the room just as everything goes dark and the door slams shut on its own, sealed into place. Seungkwan is just starting to question when they distantly hear the warehouse door slam open, a faint “Police, hands up!” booming into the empty space.

“What’s going on?” Chan demands in a whisper though it’s not necessary.

“We’ve been set up.”

“Cheol hyung...Cheol hyung! Something’s happening!” Vernon speaks frantically and Seungcheol sits up from his hidden perch in the corner of the dock warehouse they’re in. It’s been nothing but radio silence and boredom for the past couple hours and they’ve all, admittedly, let their guard down a bit as a result of the endless inactivity.

“What is it?”

“Cars. Lights off, even headlights, creeping down the road toward us.”

“Fuc-”

“We’ve been set up.” The line is said in unison by at least three people and Seungcheol curses again.

“Everyon-”

“Police! Hands up!” 

The warehouse floods with lights and Seungcheol grits his teeth. _That bastard is so fucking dead._ Flashlights sweep the perimeter and one of them is getting closer and closer to him.

“Hyung, what do we do?”

“Coups, we’re outnumbered.” comes JR’s whisper. “Too many to fight back against.”

Seungcheol keeps his eye on the man who is now mere steps away from seeing him. JR is being his voice of reason against the rage bubbling in his chest. “Throw or hide your watches. Don’t fight back.”

He slips the device off of his wrist and into one of the crates near him before rising to his feet and lifting his hands in surrender just as the flashlight makes one final sweep and lands on him. “Don’t move! I got one of ‘em!”

***

“How did the guys at the other warehouse not get caught?” Jeonghan asks, surprising himself with how softly and shakily his voice comes out. Even his hands are shaking as he listens, his heart now racing for an entirely different reason. He’s completely enraptured in the story and feels his own anger boil up at the retelling, almost matching the nearly palpable resurfacing rage from Seungcheol and the other men in the room.

“All the police saw was an abandoned warehouse. Our entrances to the lower levels were already hidden but when Jisoo shut the system down, the doors sealed entirely, making it impossible to find even an outline. As far as they knew, they’d been given the wrong location and left empty handed and stupid.” Soonyoung huffs, bitterly amused.

“We got sentenced 15 years for gang affiliated activity and possession of firearms.” Vernon concludes the retelling. “Probably would’ve been another ten if we’d been armed to the teeth how we usually are.”

“And how is that?” Jeonghan asks hesitantly.

“We would’ve had some explosives on us but decided it wouldn’t have been necessary.” Minghao replies casually.

“Wow,” Jeonghan breathes and he feels slightly breathless, having forgotten to breathe at certain points in the story.

“So?”

“So what?” Jeonghan looks at the blond.

“So, what are you thinking? Or feeling? Or both?”

“I’m thinking and feeling that that informant is a piece of shit for doing this to you guys.” he answers honestly, shaking his head. “I’m pissed _for_ you.”

One glance around the room lets him know his response is fully unexpected and the faces of surprise humor him. When his eyes land on Seungcheol, the leader half-smiles. “No need, Angel. He got what he deserved. The guys took care of him.”

“Good.” the word is out of his mouth before he can even think about it and he flushes.

“Well would you look at that,” Soonyoung says once he’s done cackling. “You’ve officially corrupted your Angel, hyung.”

“Don’t act like I’m the only one who took part in this.” the other contends. “You see who his best friend is.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Ren feigns an innocent look and even Jeonghan snorts. He gapes at the brunet. “You’re supposed to agree with me, Hannie!”

“Now you feel my pain.” Mingyu mutters, throwing a pout at Wonu who pecks his lips to kiss it away. Mingyu grins. “Nevermind, I no longer feel betrayed.”

“Ok, ok, before your short attention spans drag us off topic, it’s Jeonghan hyung’s turn to tell us what happened.” Minghao raises his voice to be heard over the commotion.

Jeonghan bites his lip, suddenly nauseous at the thought of having to relive his own mishappenings. Ren, sensing this, squeezes his hand where their fingers are still interlocked. Though it’s not spoken, Jeonghan knows what he’s being told through the action. _‘Take your time, Hannie. Take as much time as you need.’_ He mimics Ren’s position, tucking his knees to his chest. He reaches back with his free hand to undo his ponytail, rolling the hair tie onto his wrist as it falls around his shoulders. He gives his head a small shake so that a few of the locks fall in front of his face. He takes another deep breath, then starts.

“My, um, my ex framed me.”

“For?”

“Money laundering.” a scowl twists Jeonghan’s lips as a resurgence of bitterness overtakes him. “That cowardly bastard took my entire fucking future away.”

**_Approx. 6 months ago - Gangnam-gu, Seoul_ **

Jeonghan sighs for the umpteenth time that day, rolling over for the hundredth time in ten minutes. He’s bored. He’s bored and home alone in this far too big for two house. His business communications textbook lays open and forgotten next to him, page margins scribbled full of colorful half neat, half sloppy notes and his pen has rolled somewhere across the room after he dropped it twenty minutes ago. His brain is fried from studying and the thought of his unfinished (and due) assignments make him want to throw a childish tantrum. He’s sick of school work and is more than ready to get his senior year requirements over and done with.

The sound of a car door slamming has him perking up excitedly, pushing himself to a sitting position. His boyfriend is finally home. He’s about to jump out of bed and run down to greet the man when the sound of several more car doors closing followed almost immediately by voices catches his ear. Jeonghan slumps a bit, smile falling into a pout because - ‘ _Seriously? Is he really having guests over when he promised today to me?’_

Distantly, the front door opens and Jeonghan crosses his arms and legs on the bed, face setting into the brattiest expression he can muster as he waits for his boyfriend to come up and into their bedroom. What he isn’t expecting is the rushing sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs and down the hallway or the several police officers who come barreling into the room, guns out and aimed at him.

“Don’t move!” one of them shouts and Jeonghan flinches, hands instinctively flying up in surrender. “Hands behind your back!”

His heart is beating out of his chest and he stares at the officers, bug-eyed as he tries to process _‘what in the fuck is going on??’_ “I-I don’t know why you’re here but yo-you have the wrong house.” he tries to explain shakily, flinching again when one of them comes closer, gun still raised.

“Yoon Jeonghan?”

“Y-yes?”

“We don’t have the wrong house. You’re under arrest.”

His jaw drops and he’s sure his heart stops beating all together for a few moments. “Me? For what? I haven’t done anything! I’m a college student - I-I have a job, I-”

“You’re under arrest for money laundering.”

“ _Money laundering?_ Wh-”

“Shut it, kid. You’re coming with us.” one of the officers barks as another circles around Jeonghan and wrenches his arms behind his back. He falls face first into the blanket with a grunt at the force of his handling. His brain is malfunctioning, screaming at him to defend himself, prove himself innocent while racing a mile a minute with panic as he still struggles to process that this is actually happening. It’s also telling him to just comply - ‘ _don’t fight or make a scene cause it’ll only be worse for you.’_ Just behind the wall of police, peeking between helmeted heads, he sees a familiar face that brings a wave of relief to his panic.

“Myungsook!” he calls out to his boyfriend. “Myungsook, oh thank God, you’re here! Tell them that they have the wrong person! T-tell them I haven’t done anything wrong!”

His relief evaporates into horror when the police look at Myungsook and the man simply nods and says, “It’s him. He’s the one who has been stealing money from my father’s company.”

“Your _father’s-?!_ I have never-”

“Shut up!” the same officer barks at him and he’s yanked off of the bed and onto his feet, stumbling as he’s forced to walk. He’s taken past Myungsook, who he can only look at in devastated betrayal, dragged barefoot down the stairs and out of the house where, much to his dismay, a crowd of reporters stand in wait like hungry piranhas.

There are questions being thrown at him and camera flashes blinding him and tears brim his eyes. This is all wrong. He’s not a criminal, he hasn’t stolen _anything_ let alone _money_ from his boyfriend’s _father._ He wants to fight against the officers leading him to their cars - scream and spit at them - shout that they’re wrong until he’s hoarse - that he’s being framed, that Myungsook is a filthy, cowardly _liar._ But instead, he drops his head. He drops his head and lets his hair hide his teary eyes and flustered cheeks, unwarranted shame and humility burning deep within his chest.

“Wait!” Myungsook yells and the officers and crowd of reporters all pause, quieting as they wait for him to speak again.

“Jin Myungsook, what do you have to say to this man whose been robbing your family behind your back for months?” a female reporter calls out in the semi silence.

‘ _Months??’_

“Jeonghan.”

The officer holding him turns him to face the house and where Myungsook stands on the porch, standing smugly with crossed arms. Jeonghan keeps his head down, not wanting to look the man in the face lest he vomit, his stomach twisting and knotting with anxious nausea.

“We’re done. I can’t date a criminal. I’ve got a reputation to uphold and I couldn't bear letting you taint my family name.”

Jeonghan looks up at this, unbridled rage hitting him like a semi truck when he realizes - ' ** _he_** _framed me. He’s the one who’s been stealing from his own father!’_ They meet eyes and he knows he’s right. He’s being shoved into the back of a police cruiser before he can scream any of these things and Jeonghan’s breathing so rapidly that he’s almost hyperventilating. The car pulls off and that’s when he starts crying - gasping, panicked sobs - as he watches the place he’s called home for nearly a year get smaller and smaller through blurry eyes until it’s out of sight.

***

“Nobody believed me and because it doesn’t have to be proven that I was actually the one who did it, he got away with framing me through bribery.” Jeonghan pauses to take a breath and Ren lets go of the hand he’s holding to rub soothing circles into his back. The men have been deadly silent from the moment he started talking, not an ounce of their previous humor to be found in the shared, serious sets of their faces. “Three useless court dates and a homophobic court appointed attorney later, here I am. The bastard wouldn’t even look in my direction in court. He fed the judge the same lies over and over and they wouldn’t even bother to listen to my actual evidence that it wasn’t and couldn’t have been me.”

“What’s that stupid piece of shit’s name again?” Mingyu asks, his voice nearly a growl.

“Myungsook. Jin Myungsook.” Jeonghan spits, the words leaving a sour taste in his mouth. “My mother warned me. Said he was no good but I was too stupid to believe or even listen to her. To me he was a sweetheart. He helped pay my tuition for my last year of college, spoiled me with gifts and asked me to move into his mansion with him after a month. It was enough to blind me to how shitty of a person he really is.”

“Think about it this way, though,” Ren says, sounding far too bubbly for Jeonghan’s current liking but he indulges the blond with a quirked brow. He’s wrapped in a hug, a cheeky smile directed up toward him. “If that asshole hadn’t screwed you over, you wouldn't have found your new best friends! Do I still want to kill him for what he did to you? Yes! But that’s not the point I’m trying to make here.”

Jeonghan chuckles, hugging Ren back as best he can with his arms squished to his sides. He manages a couple taps to his arm. He looks around the room again at the still silent men and discovers that he finds a sense of comfort in their expressions of rage that he hadn’t felt before. Just as he was angered on their behalf, they’re pissed on his, and there’s something so evilly satisfying in knowing this.

**Monday, October 16** **Main Office - 6:22am, Chanyeol**

He’s pacing. His anxiety is glaringly obvious to any and all onlookers and this, this is what Seungcheol said about his paranoia screwing him over. _But._ But no one is watching him. No one is here to witness his odd mannerisms. It’s early and he’s the first to arrive as he has been ever since he first got this job two and a half years ago. He’s used to being early - granted the constant nervousness is only a recent development. 

He hopes he wasn’t too late. He told Seungcheol he’d get back to him when the schedules were finalized but the person in charge of finalizing had been sick for the last week and a half. He was already out of office the day Chanyeol slipped in the modified schedule and he needs to know if his plan actually worked but they _haven’t posted the fucking schedule and Seungcheol hates to be kept waiting._

Hence, the pacing.

Sometime around 6:45, he hears the front doors to the facility open and he forces himself to stop his pacing and assume a more natural position, pretending to fiddle with the coffee machine. There are a few muttered “hi”s and “good morning”s behind him from half asleep guards who only speak out of habit, not expecting or waiting around for his response - he doesn’t respond anyway. Chanyeol waits until they file on through to either the break room or the prison half of the building to get ready for the day before he leaves the coffee machine. He’s jittery enough as is without the added caffeine.

Around 6:57, the person he’s been oh-so-anxiously awaiting arrives and he tries not to make his hovering too obvious as the man enters his own small, private office. If he notices anyway, he doesn’t point it out, and Chanyeol mentally scolds himself for being so unsubtle about his actions. It takes a quick trip to the bathroom and a mini pep talk in said bathroom mirror for him to recompose himself into acting more natural. When he comes out of the bathroom, he sees the moment he’s been waiting for. The November schedule being pinned to the announcements board.

Chanyeol almost beelines to it but reigns himself in enough to appear casual as he approaches the wall, bowing his acknowledgement to the man who barely spares him a glance. Relief floods him when he scans the list and sees that it is in fact his modified version and he does an internal victory dance, his tense shoulders relaxing for the first time that morning. He rolls them a few times, as well as his neck, before turning to head in the direction of the prison. Minghao will be pleased to get some actual information this time.

**Visitor Room 5 - 2:15pm, Soonyoung**

“Seungkwan is, surprisingly, the worst of us all. He’s been pacing for days, driving whoever is in the room with him mad because of it. Apparently, Dino-yah threatened to throw him off the roof and Seokmin had to stop Junhui from dropping kicking the kid more than once.” Jihoon snickers, shaking his head. “Not that the rest of us aren’t as antsy and impatient as him, but he really can’t stay seated longer than a minute.”

“Aw, poor Diva just wants his Nonie back already,” Soonyoung coos playfully. “I don’t blame him. Every Monday I get closer and closer to smashing this glass just so I can kiss you.”

Jihoon rolls his eyes, scoffing to distract from the way his cheeks darken ever so slightly. “You’d break your hand before you broke this, doofus. Do you really think a prison is gonna use some weak ass glass for a partition?”

“Call me a doofus all you want but I saw that blush.” he replies smugly with that goofy little smile of his that Jihoon secretly adores. “Anyway, what day is Kwan-ah calling Vernon again? I forgot.”

“The 28th, two days after Junhui and Minghao’s call day. We changed it cause the poor boy will implode otherwise.”

“Ok, and one more question before we’re rudely interrupted. It’s concerning the family gathering.”

Jihoon tilts his head curiously. “I thought we had everything in place?”

“We do, love. But uh...you think we have enough room for one more?”

“Hyung,” Minghao’s abrupt entrance almost catches Seungcheol by surprise. His typical entrances are noiseless, nearly undetectable, but he’s visibly excited this afternoon as he enters the leader’s cell. 

The man is alone - Mingyu and Jeonghan are in the gym for the first time in a short while, Vernon taking over a meeting with Nu’est for him so he can have at least a few minutes of alone time to think. He’s been surrounded by his men and Jeonghan practically 24/7 since being released from solitary confinement and, while he didn’t and doesn’t mind the company, he hasn’t had a minute to think for himself in days which is much needed at the moment.

“What is it?”

“Chanyeol hyung’s modified schedule has been finalized into the November schedule. Everything’s going according to plan so far. Things are really starting to fall into place. It’s finally happening.” the Chinese man is beaming, practically glowing as he relays the information. His eyes are curved into endearing crescents and Seungcheol knows exactly what has him so excited about all this.

“Soon, Hao. You’ll get to be with him soon.” he says softly.

Minghao’s smile turns shy at this and he bows his head a little, mumbling. “I know…” he perks up again after a second. “Oh! Have you asked Jeonghan hyung yet?”

“No.”

“Why...” he cocks his head, face pinching in confusion. “Why not?”

Seungcheol sighs. “I would say I don’t know but you know me better than that. You’ll know I’m lying.”

“Yep. Spill.” Minghao lowers himself into a cross-legged position on the floor, propping his chin on his fist. The older man sighs a second time.

“I might as well,” he mutters to himself first before answering truthfully. “I’m scared.”

“Of?”

“Him saying no.”

“And why are you afraid of that?”

Minghao questions him in a way designed to keep him from being vague or beating around the bush and Seungcheol fumbles over himself trying to put together an answer he’s not even sure he has. This is why he needed alone time. These are the things he hasn’t really been able to think about until now.

Seungcheol hasn’t been scared in years. He hasn’t allowed it of himself in years. Not since he formed Svt and took it upon himself to be strong for eleven other scared teenagers who came under his wing from their various situations all that time ago. He protected them, faked confidence and assurance until he didn’t have to anymore; he trained them and taught them as well as learned from them; he healed with them and grew stronger both mentally and physically with them. He’s shot and been shot at; he’s fought till he and his opponent were black and blue and half-dead; he’s killed and nearly been killed - risked his life more times than he can count and yet he’s never been scared like this.

And he hates it.

The unsurety that whispers in the back of his brain, troubling his thoughts with “what ifs”. What if Jeonghan decides he hates him again? What if the brunet doesn’t want to come with them? What if? He’d meant to ask the question days ago but when he would merely look at Jeonghan, these thoughts would return and he found himself hesitating for the first time in literal years. It’s silly and foolish and yet he can’t get past the feeling.

“Because I don’t have any control over his answer. I can’t make him say yes - I _won’t._ God, I hate this, Minghao. I hate how he makes me feel vulnerable and he doesn’t even know it.” Seungcheol runs his fingers through his own hair, gripping at the dark strands as if to rip them from his scalp.

“Hyung, there are some things you can't control."

"I _know_."

"Then _allow it."_

"Huh?" Seungcheol's brows furrow as he looks at the other once more.

“Allow it, hyung. This - feeling vulnerable and not being in control. You want to be with Jeonghannie hyung, correct?” he continues after receiving a tiny nod. “You want to be with him in a way you’ve never been with anyone. Where he’s more than a toy that you cast aside to avoid getting attached. Where you treat him like an actual human being, an equal, rather than a pet whose role is to follow your commands and nothing more. In order for that to happen, you need to allow and accept the vulnerability that comes with a real relationship.”

He’s silent for a while. Minghao can almost _see_ the cogs turning in his head but he allows the silence to stretch. Seungcheol - their entire team, really - is nothing if not careful. Just about everything they do is well and methodically thought out and planned. Every theft, every raid, damn near every fight - meticulously thought out. Relationships, though, don’t fall under “everything”. None of the relationships had been planned and, till now, Seungcheol had yet to allow himself to even think about experiencing the typically unexpected spontaneity being in one brings.

Eventually, Minghao can see the moment Seungcheol’s mental war ends as the man sighs, shaking his head, eyes closed. “Sometimes...I really hate when you’re right. You know that?”

Minghao chuckles and the gang leader joins, lips tugging into a small smile. “It’s why I’m here. One of few voices of reason you have around.” he rises to his feet without the use of his hands and stretches a bit, flashing a smile at the older male. “I assume you’ve made your decision?”

“Yeah but...not today.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Maybe.”

“Hyung, with all due respect, grow a pair and don’t put this off any longer than necessary.” with that, Minghao turns and leaves, Seungcheol just barely able to pick up the sound of his retreating footsteps.

He sighs, dragging his hand down his face. He’s exhausted. Mentally. He’s tired of the uselessly conflicting thoughts because for once, his worries overshadow his logic and - he’s gonna end up with a headache at this rate. Seungcheol’s debating taking a nap before dinner, though napping is very rare of him, but he’s sick of his own mind and figures the best way to shut it up is with sleep.

“Daddy?”

Or not.

“What’s wrong?”

Seungcheol lifts his head and Jeonghan gives him a smile that makes him feel things he’ll only admit when he’s six feet under. He’s ready to brush his question off but Minghao’s voice is back in his head. _‘Don’t put this off longer than necessary...Allow it.’_

“Angel, I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Seungcheol hesitates and the brunet is dumbfounded. Since when did this man, one of the most powerful and intimidating gang leaders, hesitate? With _anything?_

“You’re making me nervous.” Jeonghan says, catching his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Don’t be.” Seungcheol takes a step toward him to close a bit of the distance between them. He’s almost visibly gathering his confidence, squaring his shoulders and inhaling deeply. “Soon, we’ll be leaving.”

This only adds to Jeonghan’s confusion. “Leaving?”

“Yes, Angel. We’ve been planning this for months and in less than three weeks, we’re breaking out of here.” he pauses, waiting for the change in reaction but instead of the shock or surprise he’s somewhat expecting Jeonghan’s confusion to morph into, the brunet simply nods.

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Yes, ok. Now what’s your question?” Jeonghan takes a small step forward.

_No backing out now._

“Come with us?”

“Hmm.” The brunet purses his lips, pretending to think. “I will go with you…” he smiles slowly. “Under one condition.”

Seungcheol squints at him but Jeonghan can see the smile starting to twitch at his lip as he steps even closer. “Under what condition?”

“Simple.” Jeonghan muses, wrapping his arms around Seungcheol’s neck. Large hands instinctively find their way to his hips and Jeonghan tilts his head, eyes landing shamelessly on Seungcheol’s lips. “Kiss me.”

Lips are on his before the words finish leaving his mouth, Seungcheol’s previous hesitance nowhere to be found. He kisses how he carries himself, full of confidence and power, and Jeonghan is left scrambling to keep up. The grip on his hips tightens and they draw each other closer simultaneously. Seungcheol licks into his mouth and Jeonghan can do nothing more than whine softly against his lips, weak in the knees as he’s kissed dizzy. They separate only when their lungs burn, gasping for air.

Jeonghan clings onto Seungcheol, slightly overwhelmed as he buries his face in Seungcheol’s neck, and his heart jumps when the hands on his hips slowly wrap around his waist. A comfortable quiet settles over them as they catch their breath and gather their thoughts. One of Seungcheol’s hands comes up to cup his cheek, gently guiding him from his hiding spot to look him in the eye. Seungcheol’s tongue peeks out to run over his bottom lip. His words come out softly, no more than a whisper.

“So that’s a yes?”

Jeonghan’s brain takes a second to reboot and he nods quickly. “Yes. I’ll come with you.”

**Wednesday, October 25** **Afternoon Leisure - 6:15pm, Jeonghan**

“I can’t fucking wait to get out of here.”

“I can’t wait to take a shit in peace.”

Conversation halts as if someone had pressed an invisible ‘pause’ button, various expressions of disgust and judgement being turned on Soonyoung. Unfazed, he shrugs. “What? We were all thinking it.”

There are another few beats of silence then some muttered agreements followed by Wonu changing topic. “When are we supposed to be getting our ‘extra help’?” he asks, the question directed to Seungcheol who gestures for Minghao to answer.

“The last time Chanyeol hyung and I spoke, we agreed on the night before. Turns out random cell searches aren’t very random and he caught a glimpse of the list. This cell is scheduled for the morning of the first.” He informs the group. “We should be getting them sometime around dinner along with that spare key.”

To say Jeonghan is confused would be an understatement. The brunet is utterly clueless even as everyone else around him nods. What spare key are they talking about? What the hell is this ‘extra help’ Chanyeol is giving Minghao? He wants to voice these questions but this moment is like the equivalent of being the only kid in class with a question when the teacher asks and he's never cared for the feeling of inadequacy that comes with it. Soonyoung meets his bewildered eye for a split second and laughs.

“You have no idea what we’re talking about, do you?”

“Not even a little.”

“You’ll see when the day comes.” Seungcheol says with a wave of his hand. “In case anything goes wrong, you need to have deniability.”

Jeonghan’s bottom lip juts out in a tiny pout. He’s also never cared for being left out of the loop but that feeling vanishes as quickly as it comes, a shy fondness at Seungcheol's caution filling him instead. It's still a bit of an odd feeling - _liking Seungcheol_ and knowing the man likes him as well. Of all predictions he's made about how his prison experience could go, this certainly wasn't it; finding friends, a family, who protect and care for him, a group of people he'd become fiercely defensive over and, without a shadow of a doubt, risk his life for. And they'd do the same.

There's a certain relief that came to him the day Seungcheol asked him to join the group in their escape. Relief that he wouldn't be separated from them at some point in the future, near or far. Ever, really. Maybe his mother was right. Maybe they have corrupted him. But Jeonghan has never been so sure of anything in his life and he just knows that, no matter what the future entails, he's not leaving Seventeen.

"What're you thinking, Han?"

"Just..." He glances at Seungcheol who voiced the inquiry and shrugs, corners of his mouth lifting into a little smile. "Maybe my mom was right."

"About?" Mingyu asks, and Jeonghan's smile turns a bit mischievous as he looks to the other members.

"Right about you guys corrupting me. Turning me from her sweet, _angelic_ , firstborn who's never done anything wrong." The word 'angelic' is spoken with a touch of sarcastic irony that has the others snorting.

Seungcheol hums, reaching over. His hand pets over Jeonghan’s hair, fingers running through it a couple times. Jeonghan leans into it and the motions stop just past the crown of his head, fingers slowly tightening to grab a handful of the brunet's hair, then pulling to expose his neck. Jeonghan's head follows easily, eyes fluttering and breath hitching as the gangster leans over to bite his bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth and releasing it slowly from his teeth as he withdraws only enough to whisper.

"Guilty as charged."

**Thursday, October 26** **Call Booth 7 - 9:18am, Minghao**

"Seven days, my love."

Minghao clutches the phone tighter in his hand, eyes closing briefly as he exhales before responding. "Seven too many."

"It's not like you to sound so impatient," Junhui teases lightly. "Aren't you supposed to be the most patient of us all? The one to keep us in check when we're ready to pop off at any given second?"

"My patience has run thin, my moon." He's looking at the cam. Directly into it for the first time since he discovered these rooms had them. Whether or not the person in charge of security is doing their job and can see him is the least of his concerns. He likes to think that he's making them nervous; that his knowing, unwavering stare has them second guessing themselves, driving themselves mad, wondering if the cams are really undetectable. “In fact, it’s run out.”

“Xu Minghao? Out of patience?” Junhui speculates dramatically with a gasp to make his lover giggle. He smiles to himself when he hears the soft sounds. “My own patience has long since run thin, Haohao. But it’s just a week. This is the last time we have to speak over the phone.”

“It is. We’re all impatient, though. I already know this week is going to drag on much longer than it needs to.”

“That’s what happens when you try to rush the days, love.”

Minghao makes an indignant sound. “Don’t use my own words against me.”

“Then don’t give me words to use against you,” he counters sassily. “But in all seriousness, Hao, our impatience can’t get in the way of our work. These next seven days are so crucial and if one thing goes wrong, the entire thing could blow up in our face.”

There’s a short pause before they mutter “Literally.” in unison.

“I know.” Minghao assures. “We all know now is the worst time to get sloppy or slack off. Especially after our last minute addition.”

“Speaking of which, who exactly is this Jeonghan hyung and what has he done to our leader?”

There are three taps on the booth door. Minghao chuckles lightly. “All you need to know is that you’re gonna love him.”

“Not as much as I love you.”

Minghao shakes his head, unable to hide the smile in his voice. “Have I ever told you that you’re a dork?”

“Mm, once or twice. But you still put up with me.”

“Somehow.”

“Ru-”

“Gotta go! Love you, bye!”

“Wa-”

Minghao laughs to himself as he hangs up the phone and turns to the booth door, pulling it open and stepping out. Chanyeol stands just outside, eyes scanning back and forth, end to end of the hallway, as per usual. He stops when Minghao exits the call booth, wide, nervous, eyes now focused on him.

“You remember what Coups hyung said about your paranoia.” Minghao murmurs, arching a brow.

“Yeah, yeah, and I’ve told you all a thousand times that, no, it won’t end up screwing us over.”

“Mhm, what do you need?”

“What day is Ji- Woozi sending that uh, package?”

“You forgot.”

“Maybe.”

Minghao rolls his eyes as the man’s fidgeting increases and takes the initiative to start walking them down the hallway. Standing in one place too long will come off suspicious on the cams. “Two days. Early morning. And you need to be the one retrieving it the second it arrives.”

“I kno-”

“If anyone else gets their hands on it to check it before you do…” he lets the unspoken threat hang in the air between them as they reach the double doors leading to the cafeteria.

Chanyeol becomes solemn, head bowed and eyes shadowed. “I understand. I won’t fuck this up so please-”

“We won’t touch him as long as your end of this deal is kept.” Minghao says, in his terrifyingly calm manner. His stare is hard but emotionless and despite the warmth of the building, Chanyeol experiences a cold chill up his spine. “One wrong, jeopardizing move, though, and he pays the price.” 

He gulps quietly, voice coming out even quieter. “Ok.”

“I’ll talk to you on Saturday, then. Remember - bright and early.” Minghao pushes through the double doors, Chanyeol left standing there as they swing slowly closed in his face.

**Saturday, October 28** **Delivery Station - 6:45am, Chanyeol**

Chanyeol checks his watch, the schedule pulled up on his phone, the time in the upper right corner of his phone screen, then his watch again for the 20th time that morning. There’s no reason for him to. He knows the schedule by heart - has for years - but he can’t help it. He has to be the one to get this. He has to be the only who sees it. He can’t screw this up.

His leg is bouncing incessantly and his coffee is left half empty and cold on the sidewalk next to him. The old wooden bench squeaks and groans with his movements and loose pebbles crunch beneath his boot, creating an anxious melody in the otherwise quiet morning air. The inside of his bottom lip has been chewed raw and he can taste the metal tang of blood on his tongue when he prods at the area distractedly.

After glancing at his watch, phone, phone clock, and watch for the maybe hundredth time, he hears the sound of tires on gravel in the near distance. A mail truck comes into view moments later and Chanyeol stands, adjusting his uniform jacket and cap to appear less disheveled. He puts on a friendly smile to match the one he’s given when the driver comes into his field of vision and strides over to the truck as it slows to a stop.

The driver climbs out, a short, round-faced older man with kind eyes and a hunched back. Chanyeol waits (im)patiently for him to amble around the truck and open it. He peeks past the man as he starts to collect letters and a single, small box. He chews at the already raw flesh of his inside bottom lip, restraining himself from snatching said box from the mailman.

“Mornin’,” the mailman greets as he turns around.

“Hello,” Chanyeol bows his head. “How was the drive this morning?”

“Peaceful as always despite the destination. Such a shame to have all this beautiful scenery disrupted by an eyesore such as this.” he tsks, looking down at the mail in his hands. “Got some letters and this box but there’s no sender address marked so-”

“Ah, yes, it’s from my brother. He told me earlier in the week he’d be sending this but he’s very forgetful. This wouldn’t be the first time he’s forgotten an address or name, I know it can cause problems with delivery.”

The man eyes him a moment before nodding and handing over the letters and package. “Start reminding him more often, eh?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, sir, and have a nice day.” Chanyeol bows his head again as the mailman ambles back around the truck and climbs in. He watches it drive off before turning and nearly booking it inside. He settles for speed-walking, slipping the box into his jacket pocket as he enters the facility.

**Breakfast - 7:05am, Minghao**

He’s up before the sun, as always, but instead of reading or drawing with the help of one of Wonu’s rigged flashlights as he normally would, Minghao finds himself just watching his cell door. He’s perched on the top bunk in a position familiar to him, one that - when needed - allows for him to spring up with surprising speed without delay. He sits there like a statue, staring almost unblinkingly at the door.

His cellmate snores quietly beneath him. No one else in the surrounding cells is awake with him. Maybe Wonu, but he can’t be sure. Minghao has never been so impatient before. He wants to fidget, to pace, maybe workout, to get rid of this pent up energy. The day is getting closer and closer with every passing second but it’s not coming fast enough. The longing and ache to see Junhui, to get out of here and be with his lover and family again, that he’d previously managed to push aside and ignore, is getting harder to push aside and ignore. Before, he managed to contain it, use it as motivation and the driving force behind their plans. But now that the only thing left for them to do is wait, the longing makes its reappearance and brings a surplus of other unwanted emotions as a side effect.

Begrudgingly, he has come to understand Soonyoung’s ridiculous sulkiness toward Mingyu and Wonu because he’s caught himself lately with lingering, jealous eyes directed at the couple. He has found himself with the silent mantra of _‘Seven days. Only seven days.’_ that he’s heard Vernon muttering to himself at random times of the day repeating in his own head. Needless to say, they are all more than ready for this week of insufferable and idle waiting to be over.

Minghao hears the double doors swing open in the distance and shifts into a more relaxed position, legs dangling over the side of the bunk, ready to jump down. The guard starts at the far end of the hallway and judging by the lack of unnecessary yelling and harassment, Chanyeol is the one in charge of releasing the prisoners to breakfast this morning. His cellmate stirs, groaning when the hall light comes on, but Minghao pays no mind to him as Chanyeol draws closer. When the elf eared man reaches their cell, Minghao jumps down, landing silently on the balls of his feet.

He approaches the door like he’s impatient, overly eager to leave his cell and get to breakfast, and when the door opens, he knocks into Chanyeol in his haste. The guard stumbles a bit, grunting as he’s shoulder checked and Minghao mutters an apology beneath his breath before making his way to the stairs.

**Call Booth 3 - 9:13am, Vernon**

“Hi, beautiful.” Vernon says as soon as he hears Seungkwan’s little sigh when the call connects. His boyfriend let out a long suffering groan through the line.

“This is the longest week of my life.”

“Of all our lives, babe. I can’t wait to kiss you. I been dreaming about you every night, Kwan-ah.” the younger male admits. “Dreaming about your smile, your voice...what I’m gonna do to you the second I can touch you.”

His words are met with a drawn out whine that makes him laugh internally. “Now is not the time to say these things,” Seungkwan complains. “It only makes me more impatient, Nonie.”

“Mm, I’m sorry baby, but it’s true.”

“If there was a way to speed up the next five days I swear I’d do it.”

“As would I, love. I want to have you under me and not just in my dreams.” 

“I-” Vernon chuckles at Seungkwan’s flustered squeak. “Y-you’re taking us off topic, dammit. I was supposed to be asking if Uncle delivered the package?”

“Yes. Hao hyung bumped into him this morning. Everything is going smoothly.”

“I was also told to remind you that final preparations are needed the night before the family gathering.”

“We’ll have everything ready by then, no worries.”

It goes quiet on both ends as they think and breathe and just exist.

“Only five more days, right?” comes Seungkwan’s barely there whisper.

“Only five, babe.”

Seungkwan sighs and Vernon wants nothing more than to hold his boyfriend and kiss away the pout he knows the other is wearing. “Only five.”

**Lunch - 12:00pm, Jeonghan**

They’re not having lunch at their normal table. Seungcheol called for a meeting with Exo during lunch and Jeonghan feels like a rebellious student as he walks past a guard with his tray, clearly headed for the stairs. They’re going one by one - everyone _except_ for Jeonghan and Seungcheol cause the blond is far too anxious to go alone like the others. It still baffles Jeonghan how the guards are even allowing them to just leave the cafeteria. The other men walked past them like they’re not even there and, really, they might as well not be since they are not even doing their jobs of keeping everyone in the cafeteria until lunch ends.

They gather in Sehun and Xiumin’s shared cell for the meeting. It’s cramped and Jeonghan winds up on Seungcheol’s lap, blushing as Baekhyun not-so-subtly pokes fun at him about it at first. He doesn’t pay much mind to the meeting, more focused on not spilling food all over himself because Seungcheol is running a hand up and down the inside of his thigh, rough fingertips brushing dangerously close to his private area. Chewing on his bottom lip, Jeonghan eventually gives up and sets his half empty tray on the desktop and Seungcheol takes the opportunity to shift his weight, using his own knees to spread the brunet’s legs.

The hand on his thigh slips further between his legs and Jeonghan nearly squeaks, cheeks crimson, at the action. No one else is saying anything or giving them looks and it only worsens the embarrassment burning hot in Jeonghan’s belly because he knows they’re acting oblivious. Seungcheol is making no move to hide how he’s touching Jeonghan and their position leaves the brunet feeling vulnerable and on display for the world to see. At the same time, he can almost hear Seungcheol’s words from that first day, as if he were speaking them again in this moment. _“But I am a greedy man. I don’t like sharing.”_

As a result of this, several unwarranted thoughts pop up and Jeonghan shakes his head to rid himself of them. He reminds himself that now is _really_ not the time to get turned on. If the others notice, they’ll never let him live it down and he already has to put up with enough of their teasing as is. But then lips are on the back of his neck and his temporarily regained train of thought derails again.

“What’s on your mind, Angel? I can feel a little someone getting excited.” Seungcheol drawls, lips dragging slowly across the skin at the base of his neck and making him shiver slightly. “Excited about what? Being touched like this, spread open for everyone to see? Does that excite you? Hm? Knowing that everyone can see but pretends not to? That anyone can look at you, at my pretty little cockslut, but not touch?”

His cock stirs at this, betraying him by answering the question before he can lie. Seungcheol’s soft laugh rumbles in his chest, through Jeonghan’s back, and does nothing to help the arousal simmering in the pit of Jeonghan’s belly. He wants to deny the teasing accusations, say that they’re not true but it’s pointless. He knows it’s pointless because the evidence of his arousal by these thoughts is loud and clear to the gangster. Seungcheol removes his hand from where it rests in the crease of Jeonghan’s hip and thigh, deliberately brushing over Jeonghan’s cock in the process, causing him to release a startled moan.

Instantly, Jeonghan slaps his hands over his mouth, legs attempting to snap closed. Seungcheol’s thighs keep him spread and exposed, though, and he has to settle for twisting his upper body around to hide his flaming face. Seungcheol coos a condescending compliment in his ear, hands now rubbing innocent circles over his belly.

“Get a cell,” Baekhyun complains and Jeonghan refuses to come out from his hiding place - he can practically _hear_ the shit eating grins Soonyoung and Mingyu are wearing in their child-like snickers.

“Gladly,” Seungcheol says, fully composed unlike the blushing brunet in his lap. This sends a wave of humiliation into Jeonghan’s belly but it only seems to fuel the arousal there. _He really has corrupted me,_ he thinks and even though he tries to find a way to deny or dismiss this truth, he can’t. But he also can’t deny or dismiss the fact that he’s more than fine with this. Abruptly, Jeonghan finds himself being lifted, easily transitioned into a bridal carry as Seungcheol dismisses the meeting to shamelessly fulfill Baekhyun’s request.

**Monday, October 30** **Visitor Room 1 - 2:25pm, Soonyoung**

“I love you.”

“You’ve said that ten times already.”

Soonyoung juts his bottom lip out and Jihoon sighs exaggeratedly, rolling his eyes. “I love you too. For the eleventh time. Happy?”

The cherubic cheeked man shakes his head. “Not until I can kiss you.”

“Soon.”

“Not soon enough.”

“The fun is only just beginning,” Jihoon smiles his dangerously sweet smile and Soonyoung returns it, pressing a feather light kiss into the silver band on his finger.

“Let the countdown begin, my love.”

**Tuesday, October 31** **Visitor Room 9 - 9:00am, Jeonghan**

Jeonghan picks at his nails as he’s escorted down the familiar hallway to the visiting rooms. Normally, he’d be excited to see his parents when they came to visit but today there’s a ball of anxious dread sitting heavily in his stomach. He’s trying not to make it obvious but he’s sure he’s failing. Even the guard gives a couple sideway glances, silently wondering why he seems so nervous to see his own parents.

They reach the room and Jeonghan hesitates outside of it. _Just act normal. You can’t answer them honestly if they question you so you can’t give them anything to question._ The guard opens the door - “You have thirty minutes.” - and Jeonghan enters the room.

There are two people waiting for him on the other side of the glass and his heart gives a happy yet bittersweet pang. He takes his seat. “Mom, you came today.”

She gives him a tight-lipped smile as he sits down. “Hello, my son. I’ve missed you.”

“Have you?” the bite in his voice catches all of them off and Jeonghan backtracks, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry, I don’t know where that came from.”

His mother’s eyes harden, expression souring. “Those ‘friends’ of yours are to blame, I’m sure.”

“We’re not doing this now,” Mr. Yoon chides before Jeonghan can fire back. “We’ve come with good news, not to fight for no reason.”

“Good news?” Jeonghan squints, brushing his hair back off of his shoulder with a hand. “What good news?”

“You know how your mother and I have been contacting any and everyone we can, trying to get your case reopened or your sentence shortened - anything.” his father starts, gentle gaze shifting between his son and wife as he speaks. Jeonghan nods but says nothing. “Well, someone has finally given us the time of day. The judge says that if you exhibit good behavior over the next year, with absolutely no slip-ups, you can be released early.”

His father is beaming by the end of the sentence and even his mother wears a tiny smile again. Jeonghan can feel his heart sinking down, down, down to the soles of his feet. Two months ago, this would’ve been great news, the best! Two months ago, he would’ve been out of his seat, excited and relieved at this opportunity, but now he can’t even fake a smile. The ball of dread turns into one of guilt and he thinks he might vomit.

“Han? What’s wrong? Why aren’t you excited about this?” Mr. Yoon’s voice cuts through the whirlwind of thoughts running rampant in his head and Jeonghan feels his eyes prickle when he meets his father’s. “Didn’t you hear me? This time next year, you’ll be out of here. Out of that uniform, that cell, away from all those horrible people who have tried to hurt you - why aren’t you happy?”

“I-” his voice cracks and he clears his throat. “I am. I am happy, dad. I’m just...shocked that someone finally listened to you.” the ball of guilt as well as the lump in his throat both grow with the lie. “I kinda gave up hope that anyone would actually care to answer or listen.”

“Well, the judge has.” his mother says, obviously attempting to sound comforting but her words come out sharp as needles and Jeonghan flinches. “This time next year you’ll finally be home. Things will go back to normal, the way they should be.”

Jeonghan narrows his eyes again, head ticking. “Normal?”

“Yes, Jeonghan. Normal.”

“No, mother, not normal. Not at all normal. Even if I do get out on good behavior, there’s no such thing as normal for me anymore. I was kicked from Uni, fired from my job, lost my chance for an internship, and now have a criminal record for money laundering.” he pauses, taking a breath and holding it for a few tense moments. He releases it in a strained exhale, forcing his shoulders to relax as he sits back in his chair. “Nothing will ever be “normal” about my life, mom.”

“But it also won’t be the end of the world.” Mr. Yoon interjects. “Yes, you lost all of those things, but there’s more we can do. We’ll get them to reopen your case, get them to actually investigate and find real evidence. We can clear your name, Jeonghan. We’re already trying to. All you have to do is get out early, show them - _everyone_ \- how good of a person you really are, and things will get fixed. Maybe not right away but we can only take this a day at a time. We can’t rush the future, but we can help it by doing everything we can to make sure we’re moving even a centimeter in the right direction with each passing day.”

Jeonghan is staring at the tabletop, chewing on his bottom lip. He’s doing all he can to fight back the tears burning at his eyes. His chest is also burning, with guilt and shame, at the painfully evident hope in his father’s words, his smile, his eyes. He can’t possibly tell them that ‘good behavior’ is no longer an option for him. He can’t break their hearts by telling them that he’s already at home. Not here in the prison or his cell, but with Seventeen. With Ren and Nu’est. And he’s right. From here on out, there really will be nothing normal about his life anymore. While he’s not entirely sure what being in a gang entails, he knows for a fact it’s going to be nothing like his mother’s idea of ‘normal’.

The door creaks open and Jeonghan’s heart squeezes. “Time’s up.”

“We’ll talk more about this next time. See you soon, Han. I love you.”

“I love you, my son. Until next time.”

Jeonghan forces himself to look at his parents. After all, this is the last time he’ll see them in God knows how long and they don’t even know it. “Yeah, next time. I love you mom and dad. So much.”

He’s escorted out of the room but stops in the hallway just outside of the door to collect himself. After a few deep breaths and swipes beneath his eyes, he lifts his head and squares his shoulders. The guard leads him to the double doors and Jeonghan pushes through them, moving with a purpose as he strides through the cafeteria to the left handed staircase. He climbs them, silently praying the person he’s looking for will be in here.

“Jeonghan hyung?”

“Wonu-yah, I need you to do me a favor.”

“What is it?”

“I need you to cut my hair.”

He could laugh at the way Wonu’s eyes go comically large at the request but his nerves are far too fired up for this to be funny.

“Wait, are you- are you sure? Why so sudden?”

“Yes, I’m sure. A thousand percent and, trust me, this isn’t a sudden thing. I’ve thought about this for far too long and I’ve made up my mind.”

Wonu studies him for a minute as if trying to decipher how serious the brunet is about this. Jeonghan clenches his jaw, nails biting into the skin of his palm. He needs this. Wonu must see that because he nods without further question, setting his book aside as he hops down from the top bunk.

He gestures for Jeonghan to take a seat in the desk chair and kneels to bring a small, plastic container from beneath the bottom bed. Setting it on the desktop, Wonu opens the container and Jeonghan can see several rigged, diy-ed gadgets and tools. Wonu digs past all of them to retrieve a pair of real scissors from the very bottom and Jeonghan would be surprised at the contraband but he isn’t. He knew if anyone had the means to cut his hair, it would be Wonu.

Wonu inspects the scissors briefly then turns to Jeonghan who says “Yes.”, cutting him off before he can even speak. With a silent nod, he moves to stand behind the brunet. He takes a handful of hair in his hand and Jeonghan holds his breath, eyes closing.

_He hasn’t cut his hair in three years._

_He’s been bullied for it._

_“Ew, you look like a girl.”_

_“Are you a boy or a girl?”_

_“Only girls are supposed to have long hair. Are you trying to be a girl so boys will like you?”_

_He’s been praised for it._

_“Omo! Your hair is so pretty! How do you get it looking so soft?”_

_“You have to tell me your haircare routine. It isn’t fair that your hair is prettier than mine.”_

_He’s been fetishized for it._

_“It’s not gay sex because you look like a girl. As long as I don’t see your face, I can pretend.”_

_All of these or similar things, he would hear in the run of a week whether at uni, on the streets, or - on rare occasions when he would go- in clubs. For the most part, unless they were compliments, he ignored or brushed these comments off. He couldn’t care less what everyone had to say about his hair because he didn’t grow it for them._

_He hasn’t cut his hair in three years._

_A lot can happen in that time. A lot did happen in that time._

_Ups._

_“Mom! Dad! I got in! I got into my dream school!”_

_“Yes! My first job!”_

_“Wahh...my first apartment. I’m finally living on my own.”_

_Downs._

_“You...you’re breaking up with me?”_

_“All of my friends are gone. They’re all going to school together without me…”_

_“I can’t do this, dad! I’m alone at school, I’m living alone, my boyfriend broke up with me for no reason- everything is going wrong!”_

_The unexpected._

_“Wait, really? You’re asking me out?”_

_“Yes, I’ll move in with you!”_

_“Money laundering??”_

_He hasn’t cut his hair in three years. There are memories - comfort, hurt, home, loneliness, excitement, tears - in every lock. Every strand. Insults. Praises. Questionable compliments. Ups. Downs. And everything in between. It’s been a proud crown and a shameful cloak. A tie to the boy, the life, the person he_ ~~_is_~~ _was._

_A tie he’s more than ready to cut._

“-ung, what do you think?”

Jeonghan opens his eyes slowly. There’s a small mirror being held up in front of his face and his breath catches. Wonu waits patiently for a response and a slow smile creeps its way onto Jeonghan’s lips as the weight of the last three years falls to the floor to join his hair. His once shoulder length hair now comes to the base of his head, the sides reaching just past the tops of his ears. He reaches a hand up to run his finger through it a couple times, ruffling the strands a bit. It’s not perfectly even or layered but despite that, Jeonghan can find no complaints with the cat-eyed male's work.

“So?”

“It’s perfect.” he looks up at the other with bright eyes and a brighter smile. “Thank you.”

Seungcheol is hunched over a piece of paper at the desk, speaking in whispers with Minghao, when Jeonghan arrives at their cell later that morning. After leaving Wonu and Mingyu’s shared cell, he first sought out his best friend, a tad too nervous to show Seungcheol so soon. Ren had squealed like a teenage girl who received a love note from a secret admirer, showering Jeonghan with compliments and unable to stop touching his hair. Jeonghan couldn’t blame him for the latter part for he himself also couldn’t stop reaching for it, a euphoric feeling of utter elation filling his chest each time he gingerly stroked the short strands. He’d also found most of the other members of Seventeen and giggled almost hysterically at the shock every one of them wore when they first saw him.

Now, he stands awkwardly in the cell doorway, picking at his jacket sleeve as he stares at the back of his boyfriend’s head, a nervous flutter in his chest. He tries to quietly clear his throat but then Minghao is looking at him, his eyes gradually widening as he notices the haircut. Jeonghan simpers, eyes trailing back to Seungcheol who turns to see what caught Minghao’s attention. He freezes and Minghao dismisses himself.

“It looks great,” he whispers in passing and Jeonghan’s “thank you.” is barely audible but Minghao is gone by the time he gets it out.

They’re watching each other. Seungcheol with his carefully blank face and Jeonghan shyly unable to maintain eye contact. Neither of them says a word. Then, Seungcheol straightens, moving away from the desk and beckoning Jeonghan forward. He takes a few steps and Seungcheol lets out a quiet breath, face morphing into a look of awe that has Jeonghan’s heart skipping a beat.

The gang leader reaches for him and Jeonghan comes easily. Calloused fingers brush lightly over his skin as Seungcheol adjusts an out of place strand. “You look beautiful, Angel.” he says, reverent, and Jeonghan turns to press a kiss against his hand that lingers in the air, smile broadening.

“Thank you, daddy.” he whispers.

At dinner, Mingyu raises his cup of chalky water. He’s looking at Jeonghan with a toothy grin as he makes a toast, everyone playing along and raising their own paper cups in the air. “To new beginnings.”

That night, Seungcheol is gentle with him again. He takes his time to kiss over the brunet’s body, whispering compliments and degradations alike, making his heart and lower regions flutter with fondness and arousal. Seungcheol kisses and marks up his thighs until Jeonghan is begging prettily for his cock then fucks him until he’s biting into his shoulder to muffle his moans as they climax together. He falls asleep in the older’s arms, something he’s grown accustom to lately, to Seungcheol caressing the hairs at the nape of his neck and kissing the crown of his head.

**Wednesday, November 1** **Morning Roll Call - 8:31am, Jeonghan**

The excitement radiating off the men around him is palpable. To anyone else, there’s nothing different about today. There’s nothing different about the behavior of the six men but Jeonghan can see it. There are sideways glances, private smiles, bouncing legs. He has his own mix of excitement and nerves, feeding off of the others yet consumed by worry. There are two reasons for this.

Despite now being included in it, Jeonghan remains clueless of the escape plan. Hell, he doesn’t even know what day it’s happening. All he’d been told was “soon”. If he’s kept track properly, then it’s been around three weeks since Seungcheol invited him along but he isn’t sure if soon means today, tomorrow, or the next. A tiny part of him is selfishly thankful that he’s clueless just in case this entire thing backfires.

The second source of his worry is perhaps the most childish thing a person in his situation could wonder. Are the others going to like him? Will he be accepted by the rest of Seventeen? Will they only accept him because of his relationship with their leader? Or will that be more of a reason to hate him? Will Seungcheol break up with him if the rest of his men - his _friends_ \- don’t like him?

He only voiced these specific concerns to Minghao who laughed and waved him off, telling him there’s nothing to worry about. “We’re an accepting family and we all have good judgment. We trust theirs, they trust ours and _we_ like you, right? They will too.”

Jeonghan meets Ren’s eye from across the gravel courtyard and he can even feel the blond’s excitement from yards away. He’s grinning like the Cheshire cat and Jeonghan can see him bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, grounded only by JR holding his hand. He can only imagine how much planning and patience went into all this, having come into the picture when they were already months into the process. He could sense the dwindling patience over the last few weeks and now that the day is nearly here, the lull of waiting nearly over, the just barely contained excitement overrides all else.

**Lights Out - 11:10pm, Wonu**

Wonu drums his fingers on his stomach as he waits, staring at the ceiling. Any minute now, Minghao should be coming down the hallway to get him. Chanyeol had confirmed earlier in the day that he bribed the night shift security officer to shut off the cams for about thirty minutes at 11. Thirty minutes was more than they would need, the time slot allowing them to sneak out of their cells, plant the explosives, and return to their cells before the cams were back up.

Mingyu is knocked out beneath him, dead asleep - as are the rest of the inmates on their hall - with the guns bundled up in the blanket at his feet, placed strategically to look as if he just kicked it off of him in his sleep. Wonu is too wired up to sleep. He’s as wide awake now as he was this morning, not even the slightest bit tired, adrenaline flowing through him. After another minute, Wonu hears Minghao’s quiet _“psst”_ and lowers himself to the floor as his cell door opens with a soft ‘clink’.

The two of them make their way down the stairs through the pitch darkness, footsteps silent as the cafeteria around them as they make their way to the wall with the door leading to the gravel courtyard. Wonu slips a small flashlight from his pocket and clicks it twice to get a small yet concentrated beam of light. They work quickly, Minghao feeling and tapping along the base of the wall, setting up the penny sized explosives every few meters. They attach to the wall, blending in easily with the filthy concrete. They’re done in less than ten minutes and return to their cells.

**Prison fence - 11:15pm, Jihoon & Jisoo**

They have a fifteen minute window to get this done. Fifteen minutes before the system reboots and the fence becomes electrified once again. They start on opposite ends of the chosen length of fence and start planting. These explosives attach to the base of the barbed wire fence, pressed as closely to the ground as they can get to result in the most damage being done. They work quickly and efficiently with planting, meeting halfway at the eleven minute mark. Double checking only once, they leave, sprinting at first as not to possibly be captured on one of the few outdoor cameras then slowing to a jog once they’re a good bit away.

Jihoon falls into the front seat with a tired huff once they’ve reached the van. Chan is asleep in the back, head on Junhui’s lap as the older pets his hair and fiddles absentmindedly with a pocket on his vest. “Fucking hate running.”

Jisoo laughs at him. “We ran for like, two minutes.”

“Two minutes too many,” Jihoon grumbles, pushing himself to a sitting position. “My job is to sit behind monitors, not run.”

“Then sit behind your monitor.” Jisoo says, handing over a tablet showing live footage from Seokmin’s flying cam over the prison. “13 hours left till go time.”

**Thursday, November 2** **Morning leisure - 10:26am, Jeonghan**

“Ugh, finally!” Ren exclaims as he ties a pink bandana around his wrist, tugging his uniform sleeve down to cover it afterwards. “Feels like I finally got back a missing part of me.”

The rest of Nu’est voice their agreements. JR’s black bandana is knotted around his upper arm, hidden when he shrugs the uniform jacket back on. Aron’s green one is around his right ankle, Baekho’s yellow one around his left, and Minhyun wears his blue bandana just below his right elbow.

They’re all gathered in Seungcheol and Jeonghan’s cell and any other day, this would feel like a normal hangout but Jeonghan knows there’s intention behind this. He’s sure today is the day. Everyone is more mellow today but there’s still an underlying excitement buzzing in the air. There’s a sense of anticipation, of buildup, and Jeonghan both loves and hates it. His lower lip would be bitten raw if not for Seungcheol stopping him, pulling it from between the brunet’s teeth with his thumb.

“Is it just me or is this the longest morning _ever_?” Soonyoung groans, flopping ungraciously over Mingyu who grunts and shoves him away.

“I will kill you.” he glares.

“Promise?”

“Complaining about the time won’t make it pass any faster,” Seungcheol says. “Everything is in place, we just need to wait a bit longer. Remember, our goal is to not come off suspicious in any way.”

“Meaning, everyone needs to eat lunch.” JR adds. “I know food is the last thing on any of our minds but if we’re just sitting there, not eating, a guard is bound to catch on.”

“Wouldn’t everyone being in one cell raise suspicion?” Jeonghan questions, nibbling on the skin of his lip again. “Like this?”

Soonyoung shakes his head. “Nope. We’ve been meeting up as a big group for months now. This is normal cause as far as any guard knows, we’re all just friends.”

“We established this routine early on so they wouldn’t get suspicious later. Outside of last month’s fight, which we neither planned or started, we’ve not given them reason to suspect we’re doing anything cause we been laying low.”

Jeonghan whistles lowly. “You guys really thought about all of this.”

“We’re meticulous, Angel,” Seungcheol says with a proud smile. “We triple check everything we’re told, plan everything we do to a T - anything and everything that _can_ be prevented _will_ be prevented if we have anything to say about it.”

“How we got arrested is _not_ a good example of said meticulousness, however.” Soonyoung tacks on. “That, uh, that is a terrible example.”

“Horrible, really.” Baekho agrees with a small laugh.

“But this is a perfect example!” Mingyu declares before his face falls. “At least it is so far. There’s just one person who could put this entire operation at risk.”

**Lunch - 1:24pm, Chanyeol**

He’s been trying to eat for the last thirty minutes. He’s managed no more than a couple bites of now cold ramen, his homemade rice cakes neglected in his lunchbox. His eyes have been fixated on the clock for most of the morning and early afternoon, unable to look away for more than a few seconds in fear that the time would somehow jump without his knowledge and he’d miss his cue and mess everything up.

His stomach is knotted so tightly he’s nauseated and he can’t stop sweating. Luckily, (and thanks to his modified schedule) there's few people sticking around the main office today. The staff has been cut down by a few today; not enough to be noticeable, but just enough to have everyone who is here busy with some sort of task. Chanyeol gives up on trying to eat lunch when the end of lunch bell rings off in the distance.

It's time.

**Afternoon leisure - 1:54pm, Sehun, Xiumin & Baekhyun**

“It’s time.” Sehun murmurs to Xiumin and Baekhyun. They’re in the rec room, playing cards - pretending to anyway. In reality, they’re looking for Taeyong, waiting for him to find them. Yesterday, Xiumin slipped word to him via one of his ‘mutts’ that he had some info to spill about Seventeen. Jaehyun had easily taken the bait, so there is no doubt Taeyong did too. Xiumin had left them with the simple instructions of “Find me after lunch tomorrow.” and they finally have.

Taeyong is flanked per usual, by his main ‘mutts’, Johnny and Jaehyun as they enter the rec room and Xiumin feigns surprise when he’s tapped on the shoulder and turns to face them.

“Oh, it’s you. Took you long enough. Get lost on your way here?”

“You have information for us.” Johnny says and Xiumin cocks a brow.

“I do?”

“We don’t have time for your games.” Jaehyun speaks this time. “Tell us what you know.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Sehun coughs obnoxiously to grab their attention. “We’re in the middle of a game. Do you mind?”

The three men are becoming increasingly frustrated and Baekhyun fights off a smile to keep himself composed. “I don’t think we’re the ones you’re looking for.”

“ _He_ is,” Jaehyun growls, pointing an accusing finger at Xiumin. “This little bitch told me he had information for us. I will not be made a fool.”

“Have you tried using the magic word?”

Jaehyun yanks Xiumin out of his chair, jacking him up by the front of his shirt. Sehun and Baekhyun are out of their own seats in an instant. “I swear-”

“You swear, what?” Xiumin smiles innocently, his tone mocking. “You swear you’ll kick my ass? If so, do continue, cause that’s exactly what I want you to say.”

“Now!” Baekhyun shouts and Sehun charges at Johnny as Xiumin jerks his knee into Jaehyun’s stomach to break out of his hold.

_**Meanwhile - Outdoor Gym Area, 1:57pm, Kris** _

“Hey, Yongguk! I need to talk to you.” Kris calls across the outdoor gym courtyard. He has Zitao and Jongin on either side of him and can see Jongup and Zelo migrate to their leader who stops in the middle of his workout, dropping down from the pull-up bar. The other prisoners in the courtyard become nosy, some more obvious than others in the way they stop whatever it is they’re doing to watch the confrontation. A basketball rolls into the scarce grass next to the court, forgotten as its players become more interested in whatever’s about to happen.

“The hell do you want, Kris?”

“Just wanna talk to you about your buddies in Nct. You know they’re inside about to get their asses kicked by my boys, right?”

“And why should I given a flying fuck about them?” Yongguk spits, crossing his arms.

“Cause the same is about to happen to you.”

Chaos ensues as fights break out in two areas of the prison. Guards are called from every section to go contain and stop them, Minghao watching, pleased, from the top of the stairs as the guards in the cafeteria run to the double doors leading to the rec room. He jogs downstairs and goes to the doors, taking his jacket off and slipping it through the two handles. He ties it, nimble fingers working the material into several complex knots. Wonu is doing the same to the other set of double doors and they nod to each other once their work is complete.

_**Meanwhile - Security Office, 1:59pm, Chanyeol** _

Chanyeol watches on the large computer screens as the fights breakout in the rec room and outdoor gym. He looks into a third monitor and sees the guards from the cafeteria heading to the rec room. He scans over the buttons in front of him and hits the ones labeled “cafe1”, “cafe2”, “gc1”, and “out4”. The four targeted monitors go black and Chanyeol disarms the security system and power source that electrifies the barbed wire fences, inputting the passcode he definitely stole from the manager’s office in order to do so.

Considering the circumstance, this feels far too casual. They’re in the cafeteria alone. Jeonghan, though he knows he shouldn’t be, is partially paranoid that Nct and B.A.P members will emerge from behind the columns again to attack them. He knows it won’t happen - said groups are preoccupied with the fights - but he still sticks close to Seungcheol’s side to ease the anxiety in his heart.

That aside, this still feels too casual to Jeonghan. They’re all lounging in here in much the same manner they would during a hangout session in someone’s cell. Seungcheol has his elbows propped on the table behind him, his form relaxed as opposed to Jeonghan’s. Ren looks almost bored, sat atop a nearby table, one leg swinging back and forth over the edge of it, one arm supporting his weight while his fingers drum lightly on the gun resting blatantly in his lap.

They all have a gun as he learned that morning, the weapons hidden easily on their person. Seungcheol’s is tucked in his waistband, the butt of it digging slightly into Jeonghan’s side where he leans into the gangster. Some of them are holding theirs in plain sight like Ren; Soonyoung, Vernon, and Aron all resting them on their laps while the rest have them either hidden or partially hidden like Seungcheol.

“Daddy?” Jeonghan whispers, fingers twisting in the material of Seungcheol’s uniform jacket. He’s looking down at his own hands, tongue peeking out to wet his lips.

Seungcheol shifts an arm to wrap around his lithe waist. “Yes, Angel?”

“What exactly are we waiting for?”

“Signal.”

Jeonghan frowns. “A signal?” he looks around the cafeteria as if he would find his answer in the filthy walls and concrete tables. The tips of Seungcheol’s fingers brush lightly over his ribs and he squirms away from the tickling sensation.

“Mhm.”

“And what exactly is that signal?”

Seungcheol purses his lips, appearing to think. “Well,” he starts, an open mouth smirk lifting the corner of his lips. “Let’s just say...my boys like to go out with a bang.”

“Wh-” before the question can even leave Jeonghan’s lips, there’s an explosion ahead of them and he’s yanked to the floor as concrete and metal fly across the cafeteria.

He’s yanked back to his feet before he can wrap his head around what just happened and he’s being yelled at to run. His ears are still ringing but he does as told, Seungcheol’s fingers intertwining with his as they run through rubble and billowing dust. There’s more commotion behind them as guards try to get back into the cafeteria and the ringing starts to fade out, replaced by the sound of gunshots coming from either side of the still standing portion of the fence.

The gravel courtyard has been destroyed, the border of where the fence once stood now riddled with giant holes. Adrenaline kicks in and Jeonghan realizes that he’s smiling. Grinning from ear to ear as he runs through a haze of bullets and debris as they’re shot and screamed at. The same elation that filled him when he had Wonu cut his hair fills him now and he’s the one to speed up, Seungcheol matching his stride to keep up. He likes this feeling, he decides. He could very well get addicted to this rush and Jeonghan decides, as they dive into an unmarked van that speeds off the second Seungcheol yanks the door closed and he draws said man into a shameless kiss, that he can’t wait to feel it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END
> 
> Hooooly crap we finally made it (it's three in the morning and I am in pain and exhausted but so happy) I won't lie - this was not supposed to turn into a series BUT I, along with all of you, fell in love with this universe and there's still so much left to unpack. I started thinking more and more about a second book before this was even done and uh...yeah, I can't just end it here. Book two is on the way and to get/keep you excited for it, here's a little preview ;)
> 
> ***
> 
> "Angel, huh?" The line is spoken with an amused scoff. They like to humor him. They all follow the same script, the man's next line predictable. "Where are your wings?"
> 
> "I fell out of heaven," Jeonghan hums, keeping the man's attention on his face with one hand caressing his jaw as the other slips down, down toward the lace garter hugging his left thigh beneath the silk robes. His smile is soft, sweet, and he holds an air of innocence that takes people's guard down perhaps a bit too easily. He leans in, lowers his voice into the seductive whisper that never fails to make men, men like the one right in front of him, weak in the knees. "And my daddy cut them off when he found me."
> 
> He freezes, the unmistakable coolness of steel pressing ever so lightly into his neck. Jeonghan keeps his soft, sweet smile, even as the hand not holding the knife grips a handful of greasy black hair and yanks. The man is trying to keep a stoic face but Jeonghan can see he's nervous in the way his Adams apple bobs as he swallows.
> 
> "Do you know who my daddy is, Kyungjin?"
> 
> As expected, he receives a tiny head shake "no", Kyungjin being wary of the knife still pressed into his skin. This is Jeonghan's favorite part. The fear that becomes immediately evident in their eyes as they realize they've fucked up. The instant anxiety knowing that they've finally been found, caught. Jeonghan's smile broadens, still sweet but seeping into sinister as he giggles, airily haunting. He leans even closer until their lips brush and lowers his voice to a whisper.
> 
> "Choi Seungcheol, or as you may know him," a sick giddiness fills him as he sees the moment Kyungjin's heart drops to his ass. "S.Coups."
> 
> ***
> 
> I am tasking you, my lovely babes, to help me name book two in the comments. I could be unoriginal and simply name it Broken Chains book 2 but I feel like this one is deserving of an original name. So, if you can think of a name that you want this next book to be called, share it share it SHARE IT. I will choose the name I deem most fitting and it will be revealed when the prologue drops - yes, this one is getting a prologue. Please tell me your thoughts on this chapter and book as a whole either in the comments or on my socials which I listed in the top notes! I love reading y'all's feedback and I will be responding to every comment. 
> 
> ANOTHER THING: Do y'all want little couple reunion one shots? I've been debating if I wanna do little "reunion smuts" for the in between of finishing this book and waiting for the next. 
> 
> This end note is getting too long so I'll end it here.  
> Thanks for reading and until next time...
> 
> Bye babes!!!


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